MY Life, MY Rules!
by Miriku-'-'-Yami no Hikari
Summary: One girl is simply trying to watch the Saturday morning episode of YuGiOh. There's nothing supernatural or strange about that, is there? Well, think again, because YUGIOH is coming to HER! [YamixOC, RyouxOC, KaibaxOC, BakuraxOC, MalikxOC, YuugixOC]
1. Welcome To MY World!

**Sorry about that, guys...the mods deleted the whole fic. If you want to review the whole thing while I'm posting it, feel free--I made a few odifications here and there, but it's still the same basic storyline. I won't have any author'snotes at the beginning of the re-posted chapters--that is to say, 1-14. See you all again at #15!**

**Disclaimer Dude:** Kazuki Takahashi owns YuGiOh. Miriku owns most of these OCs.

**

* * *

Welcome To _My_ World!**

_Bleep…_

_Bleep…_

_Bleep…_

_BLEEEEEEEEP!_

With a startled yelp, I sprang out of bed. "I'm up, I'm up!"

Me. Miriku Hernandez, age fourteen. I'm just your average girl. Five foot three or four, goldish brown hair that reaches just below my shoulders, brown and gold eyes, and slightly square-rimmed glasses. I have an aversion to _anything_ girlish. I'm sarcastic, paranoid, talkative, _not_ a morning person, and obsessed with YuGiOh and writing. I like rock and country music (you can flame me all you want about it, but I think rap is just plain _weird_). I have a tendency to yell "Crud!" when things go wrong. I also talk to inanimate objects—especially when I'm distracted or mad.

…Okay, so maybe I'm _not_ your average girl.

I looked at the time on my alarm clock—seven thirty—and growled. "Why in the _hell_ am I waking up at seven thirty in the morning?"

I glanced at the calendar—and did a double-take.

"It's _Saturday?_ Oh, _no—_I'm gonna be late for YuGiOh!"

I scrambled around the room, brushing my hair and pulling on my clothes. As soon as I had something on (a baggy white T-shirt and more or less baggy jeans, to be exact, which is my usual getup) I scampered out into the living room and plopped down on the couch in front of the TV.

I live in an apartment complex called Buena Vista Heights, and my parents and little brother are a whole three floors below me. My apartment is on the top floor, which is number ten. It's more like a little suite, really—a living room, bathroom, kitchen+dining room, and three bedrooms. I sleep in the first bedroom. The second one has my computer, desk, bookshelf, fanfiction supplies, X-Box, and just about everything that I couldn't cram anywhere else—it's my all-around rec room. The third is my guest room (not that I usually have any guests).

I watched the time on the cable box, waiting. At seven fifty-five, I turned on the TV and put it on Kid's WB. I began to bounce in my seat, impatient.

Finally, eight o'clock came. But, instead of YuGiOh, it was—Liberty's Kids!

Now, I have no problem watching Liberty's Kids. But I had been waiting all week to see this episode of YuGiOh—and I was shocked. There was no _way_ they had cancelled my show!

But they had. Scrolling up and down the guide, I saw no trace of YuGiOh anywhere.

"This _sucks!_" I shouted at my TV. "You're _supposed_ to be showing YuGiOh, you stupid piece of worthless junk!"

Suddenly, the screen glowed bluish white. I stopped, and blinked.

"Umm…you weren't supposed to respond to that, you know…"

There was a sort of roaring noise, and the screen glowed brighter. Suddenly, a person fell out. He hit the floor with a loud thud, and groaned slightly. Other than that, though, he didn't move. I gaped—there was absolutely _no_ mistaking that spiky, tri-color hair.

Yuugi Mutou was lying on my living room floor.

With a muffled thump, a second person dropped out of the TV and landed on top of Yuugi. The pale blond hair, lavender shirt, and gold jewelry confirmed him as Malik Ishtar.

A third person slid out of the screen, hit the dogpile, and slid to the floor. His face was as pale as his white hair. It was Ryou Bakura.

I nearly panicked when a fourth person fell to the floor. There was only one person in the whole show who wore dramatically flaring trench coats—and that was Seto Kaiba.

"This is _not_ happening!" I exclaimed.

What happened next shocked me even more, if that was possible. Yuugi and Ryou blurred—and split into two. And the two figures were completely solid.

The second figure sat bolt upright, and began to swear in three different languages. I hazarded a guess that this was Bakura—and he had a rather colorful vocabulary.

"Ah…excuse me?"

"Nasu maro _kamau?_" Bakura snarled, glaring at me. "Ore-sama gozen isogashii!" (Do you _mind?_ I'm busy!)

I sweatdropped. "Yes, I mind. In case you hadn't noticed, this is _my_ living room. Now, would you _please_ stop ranting away in Japanese and inform me as to what the _hell_ is going on?"

Bakura blinked. He slowly looked around. "Nani okeru za yochi…?" (What in the world…?)

"Exactly," I muttered.

He stood up, still looking around. "Who are you?" he demanded—in English, this time. "Where are we?"

"My name is Miriku," I answered, still slightly numbed by the fact that I was actually _talking_ to an _anime character._ "We're in South Florida. You know, America?"

"_America?_" Bakura exclaimed. He swore in a fourth language that sounded like French.

I rolled my eyes. This reminded me more of the Japanese version of YuGiOh than the American. _All-original beauty,_ I thought dryly.

Bakura suddenly stopped swearing. He had just noticed Ryou, Kaiba, Malik, Yuugi, and Yami.

"How did they get like that!" he demanded, pointing to Yuugi, Yami, and Ryou.

"_I'm_ supposed to know that!"

"Well, _I_ sure as hell don't!"

I threw up my arms. "Dammit, baka tomb robber! You're friggin' _useless!_"

This was one of the best moments of my life. Bakura—_the_ Bakura, the one who was _never_ surprised—was staring at me, slack-jawed. "How the _hell_ do you know that!"

I mentally slapped myself. Of _course_ he didn't know he was a TV character. "That…might take a bit of explaining."

Bakura crossed his arms. "Well, start."

Ryou let out a faint whimper of pain. I sighed. "I'll get him."

Bakura watched me suspiciously as I picked Ryou up off the floor. "What are you doing with him? You _do_ know I need him, right?"

"I'm putting him on the couch," I replied, doing just that. "And yes, I do know that. But no, you don't need him any more."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone still suspicious.

I rolled my eyes. "News flash—you're real here. In my world, spirits don't exist."

"…_Your_ world?"

I mentally slapped myself again. "I'll explain it while we take care of the others."

* * *

It took us about five minutes to get everyone separated. Ryou, as mentioned before, was on the couch. Yami was in the rec room, Kaiba in the recliner, and Malik in the guest room. I was carrying Yuugi, trying to figure out where to put him, when he groaned and twitched. 

"Oy, Bakura!" I called. "Quit bugging Yami—I think Yuugi's waking up!"

Bakura grumbled to himself, exiting the rec room. "Why can't the pharaoh's brat just stay down when he goes down?"

I sweatdropped, and set Yuugi on the floor. "Why don't you go and start waking up the others?"

Bakura stalked off, grumbling.

Yuugi groaned again, and his eyes fluttered open. "Nani…?"

"Welcome back to the world of the living," I said, helping him sit up.

"That's _not_ funny," he mumbled, rubbing his head.

"Of course it's not funny to you. Anywho, short stuff, welcome to my apartment."

Yuugi sat up, and looked around. "What the…how did I get here?"

I shrugged. "No idea. Ask him." I jerked my thumb at Bakura, who was now busy poking Kaiba's arm.

Yuugi stared at them for a moment. "Ano…where _are_ we?"

I shook my head. "Get Bakura to tell you, and start waking people up while you're at it. I have a gravekeeper to wake right now."

That said, I went to the guest room.

I poked Malik in the arm. "Hello? Earth to Malik—anyone copy?"

Malik groaned, rolling over. "Five more minutes, Ishizu!"

I sweatdropped. "I am _not_ Ishizu, thank you! Now get your sorry behind out of my bed, before I roll you out of it myself!"

Malik sat bolt upright at that. He looked around, a slightly stunned expression on his face. "Where am I?"

"My guest room," I replied.

"Well, who are you? How did I get here? And why aren't you speaking Japanese?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because this is America, ya nimrod."

Malik stared at me for a moment. "What?"

At that moment, Bakura poked his head in. "Hey, girlie—the pharaoh's up, and so's Ryou. We're having some trouble with Rich-boy, though."

That was when he noticed Malik, whose hand was twitching ever so slightly towards the Millennium Rod in his back pocket. He chuckled evilly. "Well, if it isn't the gravekeeper." He turned to me. "Your turn to explain it. I have to keep trying to get Kaiba awake."

"Thanks a lot!" I shouted at his retreating form.

Malik cocked his head slightly. "Explain what?"

I sighed. "Well, you see…"

And so I explained everything to him. His eyes got wider and wider. When I finished, he narrowed them. "Get me back home."

"I…can't."

He stood there for a moment, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"You're dead."

I screamed, running out of the room, Malik right behind me.

"INSANE HOMICIDAL GRAVEKEEPER ON THE LOOOOOOSE!" I shouted, diving behind the couch.

Malik stormed in two seconds later. "Where is she!"

Bakura sniggered. "Over there—behind the couch."

"Traitor!" I snapped, standing up.

Bakura shrugged nonchalantly. "Better you than me!"

Yuugi darted up. "Calm down, Malik! It's not her fault we're here!"

Malik grumbled, but allowed himself to calm down a little.

Ryou looked at me. "We've been trying to get Kaiba up for a long time—it's not working that well."

Yami nodded. "Would you mind giving us a hand?"

I began to shake Kaiba's shoulder. "Hello? Dude, are you gonna wake up any time this century?"

Kaiba rolled over onto his back, murmuring something about a report that was due.

Suddenly, I got an idea. "Hey, Malik…d'ya think he's thirsty?"

Malik stared at me for a moment. Realization dawned on his face, and he sniggered. "Why don't we find out?"

Bakura cackled. "I'll get the water!" He darted into the kitchen, returning with a cup full of ice cold water.

Yami laughed. "_I_ know what you three are up to!"

Ryou and Yuugi stared at me as I took the cup of water from Bakura. "Guys, gimme a countdown, please!"

Bakura, Malik, and Yami complied, the former two grinning evilly.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! _One!_"

I dumped the glass of water on Kaiba's face. The CEO sat bolt upright, sputtering. He pawed at his face, wiping the water out of his eyes. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Thanks for waking up, Sleeping Beauty," I said with a smirk

Kaiba growled, pushing his damp hair out of his face. "Oh, hardy har. Very funny. Now, will you tell me what's going on?"

I shrugged. "How should I know? One second I'm trying to watch my favorite anime, the next six of the characters—which includes _you,_ Kaiba—are in my living room."

Kaiba snorted. "Right. Like I'm supposed to—"

He stopped. "Wait a second. How do you know my name?"

I grinned. "Magic."

Everyone burst out laughing—except Kaiba, of course. He growled, crossing his arms. "Whatever. Just get us back home."

I stopped laughing instantly. "The only problem is…I don't think there _is_ a way for you to get home!"


	2. Spells and Disguises

**Spells and Disguises**

The six of them stared at me. "There's…no way for us to get home?" Yuugi asked quietly. His voice sounded a little sad.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "There may be, but I don't have the slightest idea as to what it might be."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Well, we're here now, so I suppose we'll just have to make the best of it."

"That's the first intelligent thing he's said all day!" Malik muttered audibly to Bakura. The whole room—except Kaiba—collapsed into laughter.

When I finally recovered, I realized we had a problem. I told them as much, too.

"You guys might not be from the most popular anime around," I explained, "but it's a rare person who doesn't at least know what you look like. It would look pretty weird if I were seen walking around with some _anime characters_ in tow. Second, there's the problem of insane fan girls trying to glomp you."

Yuugi, Kaiba, and Ryou paled. "Here, too?"

"Here, too." I elbowed Malik, who was laughing his head off. "We need a way to disguise you guys."

Bakura snorted. "If we could get his highness-ness' and the brat's hair to cooperate, we wouldn't _need_ disguises!"

"_Hey!_" Yuugi and Yami exclaimed, while Malik, Ryou, and I collapsed into yet another fit of laughter. Kaiba just rolled his eyes.

Bakura suddenly looked up. "I could just send them to the Shadow realm, couldn't I?"

"_Bakura!_" Ryou exclaimed.

I sighed ruefully. "I wouldn't have a problem with it. In fact, the problem lies in my wanting to kick every insane fangirl on this planet to the Shadow Realm—the less of those freaks are around, the better. But that would cause even _more_ trouble."

Bakura's ears pricked up at that. "Good! Trouble and chaos are tools of my trade!"

I sweatdropped, shaking my head. "The answer is no, Bakura—I can't _get_ any more blunt."

Bakura let out an over-dramatic sigh. "Ah, well…you can't win every battle!"

Yami smirked. "You're right—_you_ can't!"

"Why, you little—"

Suddenly, the screen began to glow again. A large, leather-bound tome shot out of the TV, whapping Bakura in the side of the head before he could lunge towards Yami.

"OWW! Oh, that son of a—"

I snatched up the book before Bakura could get it, seeing as how he had a murderous look in his eyes, and looked at it. It was as thick as the book _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_ (which, as any true HP fan knows, is the thickest book yet of the series), and the black leather was cracked with age.

"It's a spell book," Yuugi commented, as I flipped through the pages.

"How do _you_ know?" Bakura asked testily, gingerly rubbing the side of his head.

"Because it says so right there," Yuugi replied patiently, pointing to the binding. Sure enough, words in peeling gold ink read 'Spells'.

"Whatever," Bakura muttered.

I flipped through the pages. "This should do nicely—it's an illusion spell. All I have to do is say the words, and this'll make you look like someone else. It can only be done one at a time, though—unless you're like Yami or Bakura, and practically the same person as someone else." I looked up at them. "So, who wants to go first?"

There was a lot of nervous shuffling from everyone except Kaiba. Even Bakura didn't look to keen on having the spell put on him.

Malik stepped forward. "I suppose I'll go first, then. Hit me."

"Everyone better stand back," I warned, and proceeded to read off the spell. As the book instructed, I envisioned how I wanted him to look. There was a blinding flash of light—and when it faded, Malik looked different.

He was wearing the same clothes, but they looked different—the shirt had expanded to fit his broader shoulders, and things like that. His tan was much deeper, and his hair was more of a sandy brown that blond. His eyes were still the same shade of lavender purple.

Malik looked in the nearby mirror, and laughed. "I think I could get to like this body!" His voice sounded the same, as well.

I grinned. "I'm glad you like it. It took me a while to think that up."

Malik blanched. "You mean _you_ get to decide what we look like?"

I nodded, still grinning. "Don't worry, though—I won't turn any of you into anything insane. Except Kaiba, maybe."

Everyone collapsed into laughter again. Kaiba just rolled his eyes and muttered something about crazy girls in Japanese.

Malik suddenly let out a little cry. "Where's my Millennium Rod! I can feel it in my pocket—but where _is_ it!"

I grinned. "When you're wearing the illusion, your Millennium Items can't be seen by anyone—and only you can feel them."

Yuugi nodded. "Smart little trick, that."

Ryou finally nodded. "I guess Bakura and I can go next."

They two of them stepped forward, and I read off the spell again. I already had it planned out what I wanted them to look like.

When I was finished, the two of them could have passed for twins—which was actually the entire point. Both had pale blond hair, lanky bodies, a finely bronze tan, and a few freckles across their noses. Once again, I left the clothes, eyes, and voices the same.

Hey, I had to be able to recognize them _somehow._

Bakura looked in the mirror, his amber eyes glinting with mischief. "Not bad, I suppose."

I bowed to him. "Your opinion means the world to me, O mighty Tomb Robber."

Everyone—including Bakura and once again excluding Kaiba—burst out laughing again.

"Your turn!" Malik announced, pushing Kaiba towards me.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "If you insist."

As I read the spell again, I had the urge to put Yami's hair on him, but fought it down.

His hair was now a bit longer, and jet black. It still came to a point at the back, though. He was a bit thinner. His skin was even paler, if that was possible.

All he said when he looked in the mirror was, "I suppose this'll do." Once again, I got the strong urge to screw with him a little and give him Yami's hair.

"I guess we're next," Yuugi said cheerily, causing Yami to sweatdrop.

I read off the incantation again—and this time, I had what I thought was the cutest thing in mind.

When I was finished, they looked almost completely different. Both of them were taller—Yuugi was my height, while Yami was a few inches taller than normal. Yami was a bit more muscular, whereas Yuugi was wiry and thin. And they both had short, flaming red hair—which was a mistake on Yuugi's part, seeing as how I left his eyes their natural shade of amethyst.

Yami—whose eyes were still as crimson as his hair—winced. "Look in the mirror, Yuugi."

Yuugi did so. "Well. That's…a strange combination."

I shrugged. "Hey. Sue me."

I looked at them, then at Ryou and Bakura. "This is how I had it planned out. Ryou, Bakura—you guys are supposed to be twins. Yami, you're Yuugi's older brother. Got it?" The four of them nodded.

Bakura sniggered. "This should be fun—Ryou and I can use our mind link to do that thing where we finish each other's sentences! It's a classic!"

I sweatdropped. "If you insist. Now, we have two more problems. First off, what the heck am I supposed to do with this stupid book?"

Suddenly, it began to shrink, until it was about the size of one of the YuGiOh TCG instruction booklets.

"Well, that's convenient," I muttered, slipping it into my pocket. "Problem two; I only have the couch and the guest room. That's two places to sleep. There are six of you. Do the math."

Malik blanched. "Four of us are gonna have to sleep on the floor!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," I countered. "All I have to do is go on AIM and look for my buddies. I can call them over, and some of you can go to their houses."

Yuugi thought a moment. "What if they don't believe you?"

I shrugged. "They're always looking for a chance to come over to my apartment. This'll give them one, whether they believe me or not. None of them are insane fangirls, so don't chew me out, 'kay? Now, let's go—_to the rec room!_"

I darted over to the rec room, the others following. Carefully edging my way around piles of junk, I sat down in front of the computer and proceeded to boot it up. That done, I turned on the AIM.

"Well, _this_ is convenient!" I exclaimed, surprised. Nearly everybody was there. I entered my penname—YamiNoHikari.

"Yami no hikari…" Yuugi mused. "Light of darkness…"

I shrugged. "I figured it had a nice ring to it." I hit log in, and called a conference. After a few seconds, the indicators popped up, and our little conference began.

**YamiNoHikari:** Heya, guys! Wazzup?

**TeenTitanTerra:** Hey, Miri! Ah…guys? What _is_ up?

**Obelisk318:** Not much over here. We're all on because we're bored with the world of nature. You?

**DeanThomas:** Probably bored out of her mind. All she has to do is watch anime and read manga…O.O

**/YamiNoHikari deathglares**

**WAFFLES:** Hey! Manga is good and good for you!

**Obelisk318:** You'd think you were on anime withdrawal, Dean…

**TeenTitanTerra:** Besides, this from mister InuYasha-obsessed.

**DeanThomas:** . Shut up…

**YamiNoHikari:** Where's Dustil?

**WAFFLES:** Who knows? Maybe eating breakfast…maybe he's eating waffles! Mmm…

**YamiNoHikari:** --;

**TeenTitanTerra:** --;

**DeanThomas:** --;

**Obelisk318:** --;

**WAFFLES:** What's wrong with you guys? Waffles are cool!

**/MidgetOfDarkness has entered**

**MidgetOfDarkness:** Hey, people! What did I miss? I just got out of the shower, and had a conference call!

**TeenTitanTerra:** The only thing you missed was Merekai being weird…oh, and Miri trying to kill Dean.

**MidgetOfDarkness:** LOL, like that's anything new.

**Obelisk318:** Yeah—those two are always at each other's throats!

**/YamiNoHikari deathglares**

**/DeanThomas deathglares**

**Obelisk318:** Oh no! Not the virtual deathglare! I'm _so_ scared!

**MidgetOfDarkness:** Anywho, lead, what did you want?

**YamiNoHikari:** Dustil, I've asked you more than once not to call me 'lead'.

**/MidgetOfDarkness shrugs**

**YamiNoHikari:** Would you guys believe me if I told you that YuGiOh was cancelled this morning, I yelled at the TV, and it responded by spitting out six of the characters?

**DeanThomas:** No.

**TeenTitanTerra:** Knowing you…

**WAFFLES:** Umm…42?

**MidgetOfDarkness:** That would be cool!

**Obelisk318:** The yelling at the TV part I can believe. But are you sure you aren't hallucinating or something?

(I pinched Malik in the arm. He yelped, jumping back a foot or so. "What was that for!")

**YamiNoHikari:** No, I'm not hallucinating. I just pinched Malik, and he seems real enough.

("Thanks a lot!" Malik grumbled, cradling his arm. "Now that you're sure we aren't figments of you're imagination!")

**DeanThomas:** No. It's impossible. It's just plain impossible.

("He'd give Kaiba a run for his money in the skepticism department," I commented, earning me a glare from said CEO and several sniggers.)

**TeenTitanTerra:** Shove it, skeptic.

**Obelisk318:** I couldn't have said it better, Terra.

**YamiNoHikari:** If you don't want to believe me, fine. Stay home. I came on here because I wanted you to meet them, but if you really want to be difficult…

**WAFFLES:** Hmm…who's over there?

("Spoken like a true believer!" Bakura said dramatically.)

**YamiNoHikari:** Yuugi, Yami, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Kaiba.

**DeanThomas:** Wait a sec. Aren't Yuugi and Yami the same person? And Ryou and Bakura?

("_What!_" Bakura exclaimed. He pointed at Ryou. "How could that baka think I'm the same person as _him?_")

**MidgetOfDarkness:** Dude, even _you_ should know that just because they share the same body doesn't make them the same person!

**DeanThomas:** Yeah, yeah.

**YamiNoHikari:** Well? Who's coming?

**WAFFLES:** Me! Me! I'm coming! I'll be there!

**/WAFFLES signoff**

**MidgetOfDarkness:** My leader has summoned me. I shall obey her call. Besides, this could get interesting.

**/MidgetOfDarkness signoff**

**Obelisk318:** I have _got_ to see this. Be there in a bit.

**/Obelisk318 signoff**

**TeenTitanTerra:** Let me get some day-wear on, and I'll be right over. Ja ne!

**/TeenTitanTerra signoff**

**YamiNoHikari:** Well, Dean? You coming?

**DeanThomas:** Everyone else is, so I suppose I'll have to.

**/DeanThomas signoff**

**/YamiNoHikari signoff**

I pushed back from the computer. "Done," I announced. "They should be arriving shortly. And now, to take off your disguises."

Malik stared at me. "Take them _off?_ But aren't we supposed to keep them _on?_"

I rolled my eyes. "Hel-lo! Earth to Malik! These guys are _supposed_ to know who you are—I _told_ you that they're not insane fangirls!"

"…Oh."

Bakura whapped him on the back of the head. "Pay attention next time, baka Gravekeeper," he growled.

Malik gingerly rubbed the back of his head, glowering at Bakura.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the book of spells, which immediately grew to its original size, and found the page with the disguising spell.

"All right. To take off the spell, all I have to do is say _aperio._ Then to put it back on is _dissimulo._"

"That sounds Latin," Malik commented.

I rolled my eyes. "It _is_ Latin."

Bakura knocked Malik on the back of the head again.

"Hey! Quit that!"

"It's not my fault you're being stupid."

"Why, you little—!"

Yami grabbed both of them by the scruffs of their necks. "Be kind, one unto the other!"

Bakura spat at his feet. "Damn pharaoh! You always have to ruin my fun!"

Yami shrugged, and dropped them. They scrambled to their feet, still glaring at each other.

"Will you just get on with it already?"

Everyone started. Kaiba had been so quiet that we'd forgotten he was there.

I nodded. "Right—they'll be here soon. Now…_aperio!_"

There was a flicker of light, and the six of them were back to normal.

Yuugi fingered his bangs, grinning. "I was starting to miss this hair."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Well," I finally said into the silence, "I guess all we have to do now is wait for my friends to show up!"


	3. Meet the Gang!

**Meet the Gang!**

Yami perched on one arm of the couch beside Yuugi, while Ryou and Bakura sat next to each other at the other end. Malik kicked back in the recliner. Kaiba leaned against the wall, arms crossed. I went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water.

Suddenly, someone began pounding on my door.

"Miri? Miriku! I _know_ you're in there, woman! Open this door, or I will sic the all-mighty power of WAFFLES AND MAPLE SYRUP on you!"

I sweatdropped. "Gimme a sec, Mere!"

I opened the door, and Merekai Schulman (**WAFFLES**) bounded in.

Merekai is fifteen, and the oldest of our group of friends. She's a little shorter than me, making her the second shortest of the group. She has dirty blond hair and brown eyes. She's excitable by nature, and loves waffles (hence the AIM name) and togas. We had a toga party over at her house—but that comes in later.

I grinned at her weirded-out expression. "That's them."

Merekai waved. "Hi, peoples! My name's Merekai—and, weirdly, I already know who _you_ are!"

Malik's stunned eyes traveled from Merekai to me. "I thought you said no insane fangirls!"

"_Hey!_" Merekai exclaimed, pouting. "I'm not a fangirl!"

I smirked. "No, but you _are_ insane!"

Everyone laughed—except Kaiba, of course. Merekai ran and sat on the couch next to Bakura, who immediately traded seats with Ryou.

There came another knock on the door. "Oy! Lead! Open up, wouldja?"

I opened the door, revealing Dustil Morrison (**MidgetOfDarkness**).

Dustil is thirteen. He's not only the youngest of us, but the shortest—he only reaches chest-height on me. I always assumed he was part Scottish—his hair is dark red, and his eyes are bright green. He gets hyper easily, and always seems to be on active-mode.

"I am _not_ your leader," I admonished, stepping back so he could enter. In response, Dustil gave me the Vulcan hand-signal thingy.

He entered the room—and his eyes widened. "Whoa," was all he said. His eyes moved from Yuugi and Yami—the former of whom was grinning at him—to Malik on the recliner, to Merekai and Ryou discussing how to take care of Siamese cats (no clue how the discussion got there, though…), to Bakura on the edge of the couch, to Kaiba standing alone against a wall.

"You weren't joking, were you?"

"Nope."

Dustil looked around again. "Whoa."

I grinned, pushing him forward a bit. "Go on, Dustil—find a seat."

Yuugi immediately waved him over. I couldn't help but giggle slightly—if you didn't count Yuugi's hair, the two boys were exactly the same height!

Next to appear was Terra Cooper (**TeenTitanTerra**) and John Benton (**Obelisk318**). They live across the street from each other, so that was no surprise. Terra knocked, and then pushed open the door.

Terra is fourteen. She's as tall as me. Her hair is blond, but she's planning on dying it black. Well, let me correct that—_been_ planning. She's never really got around to doing it. Her eyes are hazel, and they always have a spark of mischief in them. She loves YuGiOh as much as I do—and _that's_ saying something.

John is fourteen, as well. He's also as tall as me. He has very short blond hair—think a crew cut—and light brown eyes. He's _also_ YuGiOh obsessed—kinda—and loves reading the fanfiction.

"Where are they?" the two of them demanded the second the door was open.

"Right this way," I replied, stepping back.

There was a short struggle, in which Terra and John tried to rush through the door at the same time. John finally resolved the problem by disentangling himself from the doorway and allowed Terra to enter. He followed her in, shutting the door behind him.

Because he wasn't watching, he crashed right into Terra, who had stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hey, what the—"

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing. "Miriku wasn't lying! They're actually _there!_"

John was obviously excited, as well—but being his sarcastic self, he had to make some kind of sarcastic comment. He rolled his eyes. "I can see that," he said patiently. "Just don't start that hyper-active bounce thing you do. _That_ is the very _definition_ of catastrophic."

Bakura, who had been listening, sniggered. "You're good," he commented to John.

John shrugged, grinning. "You've gotta be, when your life's goal is to be a pain in the butt to everyone!"

Bakura laughed. "Don't I know it!"

"You two are _insane,_" Terra muttered.

Grinning, they bowed. "Thank you—one can only try!" They looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

I rolled my eyes. John and Bakura—it figured. They were the perfect pair for pulling practical jokes, being sarcastic, and all around screwing things up for everyone else.

"All right," I said out loud to myself. "Who are we missing?"

Merekai looked around. "Dean's not here yet. Is he even coming?"

There was a loud knock on the door.

"I guess that answers _that_ question," John commented, as I opened the door.

Dean Santorelli (**DeanThomas**) is fourteen. He's about an inch taller than me, making him the tallest of our group. Most people would refer to him as 'Black', though I find the term 'African American' much less offensive. His hair is in dreadlocks, and he has glittery blue eyes. He's the 'reasoning mind' of the group—which basically means he gets John, Terra, Dustil, Merekai, me, or any combination of us to actually _think_ before we do something.

"Well?" he asked, arms crossed. "Are you going to let me in, or will I have to stand out here in the hall all day?"

Terra bounced up, breaking off from her discussion with Malik. "Welcome, O skeptic—your ascension to truth awaits."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Right. Just let me in already."

Grinning, we stepped back for him. I swear his jaw hit the floor when he saw the others.

He sputtered for a moment. "It's not possible!" he finally exclaimed. "It just isn't possible!"

John and Bakura sniggered. "Oh, yes it is!" They burst out laughing again.

Dean marched up to Kaiba and pointed 'the accusatory finger' at him. "I don't believe you're here."

Kaiba turned his cold gaze down at Dean. "If it makes you feel any better, neither do I."

Dean began to sputter again, while everyone else roared with laughter.

"I just don't believe this!" he finally exclaimed weakly.

Merekai shrugged, grinning smugly. "When you hang around with Miriku, this is par for the course!"

"_Hey!_"

"And _that's_ payback for calling me insane!"

By now, even Dean had collapsed into laughter. Kaiba just turned away—like the cold-hearted I'm-not-even-gonna-say-it that he is.

I was one of the last ones to recover. "Anyway, I called you all here for a reason. The thing is—I have a _major_ problem."

John nodded. "Let me guess—fangirls?"

"No, we took care of that already," Malik chimed in. "An illusion spell."

I nodded. "My only problem is that there's no more room in this place for anyone to sleep. I can only take two people, and then I'm all out."

Terra nodded. "I get your point. You need some of us to take some of them home?"

"Basically, yeah."

Dustil began to bounce in his seat. "That would be so cool!" His face turned apologetic. "But…I don't have any room at my place!" He pouted. "No fair! I wanted Malik!"

Everyone laughed. Malik tousled his hair. "No worries, short stuff. I can always crash on the couch—or in a sleeping bag, if you've got any."

I nodded. "True." I then turned to the others. "Who else wants who? Remember, I can only take two of 'em."

Terra raised her hand. "I'll take Kaiba."

I raised my eyebrows. "_Kaiba?_ Are you sure about that?"

Terra shrugged, grinning. "Hey, _someone's_ gotta beat some sense into the guy!"

That brought another round of laughter. Kaiba snorted, and I distinctly heard him mutter, "As if."

John nodded. "Suppose I'll take Bakura, then. Want to tag along, Ryou?"

Ryou shook his head. "I think I'll go with somebody else."

Merekai raised her hand. "I'll take you!"

Ryou thought a moment, and nodded. "Sure."

I looked around. Everyone had a character. Well, everyone except Dean.

"Dean?"

Dean held up his hands. "I'll pass, thanks."

I grinned at Yami and Yuugi. "Guess that leaves you two with me. I hope you like spaghetti, because that's really the only thing I cook well!"

Suddenly, the phone rang. I darted over and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hiya, sissie!"

I let out an exasperated sigh. It was my ten-year-old little brother, Stuart. "What do you want _now,_ Stuart?"

"I just wanted to talk to you!"

"Look, I'm in the middle of something right now!"

"No! No bein' in the middle of stuff when I wanna talk!"

"But Stuart, I—"

Suddenly, Bakura jerked the phone out of my hand. "Get lost, brat!" he snarled, and dropped it back onto the receiver.

He clapped his hands together, an evil grin on his face. "There—piece of cake!"

I groaned. "Don't _ever_ do that again, Bakura."

Bakura shrugged, the evil grin still covering his face. "I can't make any promises on that."

I sighed. "Well, before we do anything else, I'd better put the illusion spell back on." I held out one hand. "_Dissimulo!_"

The flickering light flashed again, and the characters were back in their illusionary form. Yuugi's hair/eye color scheme drew a collective wince—we quickly figured out that if we didn't turn our heads too fast, it wouldn't hurt.

Dustil glanced at his watch. "Ohmigod—I gotta go!" He jumped to his feet and darted out the door, Malik tagging along behind him. "See ya, lead!"

I rolled my eyes. "_Not_ your leader!" I yelled to his retreating form.

Yami looked curiously at me. "Why does he call you lead?"

Terra grinned. "Because a lot of times, it seems like Miriku is the leader of our group."

I shook my head. "Look, I've said this to you guys a million times—I'm not the leader of _anything._"

"You sound like Jake from the Animorphs," Dean commented. "Natural leader, but didn't think of himself as one. He didn't like it when Ax would call him Prince Jake, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you do, just _don't_ start calling me 'Princess Miriku' or some weird crap like that." I looked at my watch. "Well, you guys had better go, too—it'll probably take most of the day to get settled."

Merekai nodded. "I have piano lessons soon, anyway." She sighed. "I wish my piano teacher would be attacked by a pack of rabid mutant waffles…then I wouldn't have to go to piano lessons."

Bakura grinned evilly. "I can arrange that."

"_No!_" everyone shouted.

Bakura held up his arms. "Fine, fine!"

Merekai bounced out the door, singing her 'I Love Waffles' song. Ryou followed without comment, though he did give Bakura an exasperated sort of look.

Bakura turned to John. "Let's go—I'd like to start causing chaos at _your_ house."

John only grinned. The two of them walked out arm-in-arm—future partners in crime.

"This is _really_ not gonna end well," Terra commented. She looked at Kaiba. "C'mon, let's go. I need to have a talk with John."

Kaiba snorted, but followed Terra without any other comment.

Dean left last. I heard him muttering things like "Insane!" and "Impossible!" as he exited the apartment.

Yuugi collapsed back onto the couch. "Why am I suddenly so exhausted?"

I grinned. "Maybe because you and Dustil were talking everyone else's ears off?"

Yuugi went as red as his hair, while Yami collapsed into laughter.

I grinned. "Well, now all you have to do is figure out which of you is sleeping where."

"Yami can take the guest room," Yuugi said immediately. "I don't think he'd fit very well on the couch."

I nodded. "You guys do that. I'll be in my room, if you need me."

I ran to my room, shut the door, and jumped onto my bed. I couldn't believe that this was actually happening! Yuugi and Yami were guests in _my_ apartment!

This was going to be the best summer vacation of my entire life!


	4. Hitting the Mall, Pt 1: Malls and Mikey

**Hitting the Mall, Part I:  
Malls and Mikey**

"_But why?" he asked quietly. "Why do I have to go?"_

"_You have to get back home," I replied, exasperated. "There's not much time left—you have to get into the portal before it runs out, or you'll be trapped here forever!"_

_His expression was pensive. "But I don't want to…" He took a step forward. "I don't want to leave this place; we've had so many good times…"_

_I didn't realize how close he was until I felt his breath on my face. "I don't want to leave _you,_ Miriku-ko…"_

CRASSSH!

"YEEOWCH!"

I sat bolt upright, snapping out of the dream. Something wasn't right here; it was eight o'clock in the morning. Who was making all that noise?

Lots of cursing echoed in through my door, and it was all in Japanese. I suddenly remembered what had happened the day before. Yuugi and Yami were spending their time in the reality world in my apartment—and I'd forgotten that they _were_ morning people.

I stood up, roughly shoving my glasses onto my face. _Those two are gonna have to learn a few rules.

* * *

_

_**Yuugi POV**_

Trying to pull the frying pan off of one of the shelves, Yami had brought the whole stack crashing down on top of him. He sat there on the floor, swearing colorfully, gingerly rubbing his head.

"Tsutanai yami (unlucky darkness)," I sighed, starting to pick up the pans.

At that second, Miriku stormed in. Her eyes were flashing dangerously—and she had a bad case of bed-head, which made her look even _more_ pissed off. Yami "meep"ed, edging backwards slightly.

"What the _hell_ are you two _doing_ in here!" she exploded. "It's _eight o'clock_ in the damn morning, and I'm _trying_ to sleep! Haven't you ever heard of sleeping in _late!_" She took a deep breath, glaring at us. "If you can't keep it down in here," she snarled, "then _go back to bed!_"

With that, she turned on her heel and marched out. Yami sat there on the ground, staring after her, slightly slack-jawed.

"Yuugi…"

"Hai?"

Yami's voice was strangely hushed. "Let's not piss her off again, neh?"

I nodded, and shivered. "Let's not—that scared me."

"Me too."

Suddenly, the phone rang. I sprang at it, picking it up before it could bother Miriku.

"Hello?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low.

"Ah—I'm guessing this is Yuugi." It was John.

"Hai, it's me. Why are you calling?"

"Just to warn you, before something bad happens—Miriku _really_ isn't a morning person."

"It's a little late for that," Yami muttered over my shoulder into the phone.

I heard Bakura in the background, roaring with laughter. "What happened?" John asked, smothering a snigger.

"Yami dropped the stack of frying pans in the kitchen, and it woke her up."

John sighed. "Well, remember for next time; rule number one in Miriku's apartment is that you don't wake Miriku up before at least nine o'clock."

"Sure," Yami muttered. "I'll remember that for the next time I get sucked out of my world through some obsessive girl's TV screen!"

On the other end, I could hear Bakura and John laughing their heads off. I sighed, hanging up the phone.

"Yami…why don't we finish making breakfast? If we're lucky, Miriku will be in a better mood when she wakes up on her own time."

"Since when are _we_ lucky?" Yami muttered savagely, but he began to pick up the pans without any other comment.

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

When I woke up again, it was nine fifteen. Loud singing echoed in from the kitchen, and I smelled pancakes. I slid out of bed, dressed quickly, put on my glasses, and crept out of my room to check it out.

They were making breakfast. Yuugi mixed pancake batter, while Yami was making them over the stove. Everything they did was in perfect rhythm with the song they were singing. They didn't seem to notice me there—which gave me the perfect opportunity to play a practical joke.

When they finally finished the song, I stepped into the kitchen, clapping. "Bravo!"

Yuugi and Yami started. Yuugi fell off the chair he was standing on, hitting the ground with a thump. The now-empty bowl of pancake batter followed, landing upside-down on his head.

Yami wasn't so lucky. He flipped the pancake wrong, causing it to land on his head—and seeing as how it was still gooey, wet batter dripped into his eyes.

I collapsed into laughter. "You guys should see your faces!"

Yuugi pulled the bowl off his head. "Yohodo hyoukin (very funny)," he said dryly.

Yami rolled his eyes, working the batter out of his hair. "Do you have a shower in this place?"

I nodded. "Go ahead and use it; _I'll_ finish making the pancakes."

Yami stalked off down the hall, still grumbling to himself.

After about three minutes, Yuugi cast a sidelong glance at me. "Are you still mad at us?"

"No idea what you're talking about," I answered absently, pulling a bottle of maple syrup out of one of the cupboards.

"You know…earlier this morning. When Yami dropped the pans, and you woke up."

I paused for a moment. "Uh… Oh yeah—that." I grinned sheepishly at him. "I'm really not a morning person. Sorry if I scared you guys."

"More like _terrified_ us," Yami called from the hall. "I'm finished—now what am I supposed to wear?"

I clapped a hand to my forehead. "I totally forgot about that! Just put on your dirty clothes again. This calls for an emergency meeting."

All my friends showed up within ten minutes. I'd wondered how staying at my friends' houses would affect the characters—and not all of it was what I'd expected!

Bakura and John were cracking jokes every two seconds. We _heard_ Merekai and Ryou coming—they were chattering to each other that loudly. Malik was laughing to himself as he listened to Dustil talk at super-sonic speed.

But what surprised me most was Kaiba. He had ditched the business suit in favor of a T-shirt and jeans, although he still wore his trench coat. He kept shooting furtive glances at Terra, as if she were a wild animal about to jump him at any moment.

"What's _his_ problem?" I asked her in a whisper.

"Nothing," Terra replied smugly. "I've only creeped him out to the point where he'll do just about anything I say, as long as I don't start going on about how UFOs are real and showing him proof of it!"

I sniggered. "You're as bad as John! Gimme five, girl!"

Dean was the last to show up. He had finally accepted that the characters _weren't_ hallucinations, and was actually pretty OK with it. He was talking to them now, in fact.

"All right," I announced. "We have a _big_ problem. What are these guys supposed to wear?"

Dustil held up his hand, and opened his mouth to speak. He stopped, thought a moment, and put his hand down. "I have no idea."

I nodded. "Exactly. I can't believe I'm saying this, but—we need to go shopping."

All the 'real' people stared at me.

I held up my arms. "I know what you're thinking—have I gone insane? No, I haven't. Just because I have an aversion to mall trips doesn't mean I won't take one when necessary. And I think this is necessary."

Dean nodded. "She's got a point. We don't want you guys running around nude."

Bakura sniggered. John elbowed him.

"I've got to brush my hair really quick," I told them, "and then we can leave."

I ran to the bathroom, brushed my hair, tied it back in a sky-blue bandana (okay, so I felt like being different today, so what?), and went back to the living room.

"_Dissimulo!_" The illusion spell flickered on, and I nodded. "Let's go. And Kaiba—ditch the coat. That thing's a dead giveaway."

It took us ten minutes on foot to reach the mall. As we walked, we pointed out buildings of interest to the characters. Kaiba got bored within the first few minutes, but didn't do anything other than grumble to himself.

We entered the mall. "Okay, people," I announced. "Let's split up—we'll move faster that way." I looked at my watch. It was ten o'clock. "Take your characters and go—meet up at the food court at around noon. Got it?"

"Got it!" everyone responded.

John looked at Terra. "And try _not_ to max out your credit card this time, all right?"

Terra rolled her eyes and walked off, Kaiba in her wake. John and Bakura high-fived, and ran off in another direction. Dustil and Malik wandered away next, along with Merekai, Ryou, and Dean. This left me, Yuugi, and Yami standing alone by the entrance.

"This place is _huge,_" Yuugi whispered, looking awe-struck.

I shrugged. "I've seen bigger. There's a mall up in Georgia that's almost five times this size—length-wise _and_ height-wise. Now, let's go—we need to get you two some clothes!"

* * *

Two hours later, everyone had everything they needed. We met up at the food court, and went to buy some lunch. We found a table big enough to seat all of us near the back of the food court, and began to eat.

Suddenly, Ryou poked my arm. "Hey, Miriku…that girl looks just like you!" Everyone looked at where he was pointing—over by the McDonald's.

A girl sat next to the counter, head down, arms folded around her knees. She wore jeans and a black shirt. Her hair looked exactly like mine, but for the fact that it had less gold in it. It was tied up in the same style as mine, with a black bandanna instead of a blue one. She also wore glasses—but they appeared to have amber frames, not black. She also looked about my height.

A man walked up to her from behind the counter. He appeared to be telling her something. She shook her head, not even bothering to look up. The man crossed his arms, tapping his foot. When the girl didn't move, he pointed towards the mall's exit. She slowly rose to her feet and began to walk. The man nodded, and went back behind the counter.

"Who's that?" Ryou asked curiously.

Everyone shrugged.

Ryou stood up. "Well, you guys wait here. I'm going to find out."

* * *

_**Ryou POV**_

I don't know why I did it. Maybe I felt sorry for her. Maybe I was just being me. But whatever the reason, I hurried over to the girl who looked like Miriku.

I heard her murmuring to herself as I approached; "…sit wherever I like, thank you, be it by the counter or at the table. He doesn't have to kick me out of the food court. Hmph. I'll be fine, though…I have to be fine. I always figure out how to be fine. I gotta, on my own."

I was startled. She was someone else who talked to themselves for comfort. Although later, I had found out that _myself_ was really _Bakura—_but that's beside the point.

"Hello?"

She jumped, and looked at me. Her eyes were like Miriku's, too—but they were unlike. Miriku's eyes held joy and satisfaction; this girl's eyes held so much pain…

Her face looked different from Miriku's, too. Her features were more angular, her cheekbones higher. And her glasses weren't crooked, either.

"Your voice sounds…familiar," she said quietly, breaking my train of thought. "Do I know you?"

I smiled at her. "I doubt it—I'm new in America. I just saw that you were all alone, and wondered if you would like to come and sit with us."

The girl was quiet for a moment. "They don't let me in here any more unless I come to buy something. And I didn't bring any money today."

I grinned. Merekai had lent me some money to buy my lunch, and I still had some left over. "I can buy you lunch, if you'd like."

A slight smile crossed her face. "Thanks. My name's Mikey, by the way—short for Mikayla. Mikayla Labrador."

I nodded, and was about to tell her my real name. But then, I remembered that _this wasn't my world._ I couldn't tell her my real name—that wouldn't be good. I had to think fast.

"Riku Ohkawa," I replied. "Now, let's get you some lunch, neh?"

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

I guess I underestimated Ryou's "cute and charming" powers—here he came, with the strange girl in tow!

She seemed to shy away from us as the two of them approached, but I didn't see why. Ryou grinned over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry—they don't bite."

Terra sniggered, and gestured at John and Bakura. "Except for these two, anyway."

"_Hey!_"

That got a small smile from the girl. "Riku said he wanted me to meet you guys…"

I stood up. "Well, here we are. My name's Miriku Hernandez. This is John Benton, Terra Cooper, Dean Santorelli, Dustil Morrison, and Merekai Schulman." The five of them waved.

Bakura grinned, tipping an invisible hat in her direction. "Koran. Pleased ta meet ya."

The girl looked between him and Ryou. "Are you two twins?"

"Yeah," they replied at the same time.

She smiled slightly again. "Riku and Koran Ohkawa. Got it."

Yami nodded. "Ahkama Maroko." He put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "This is my brother, Taio." Yuugi grinned at her, peace-signing.

Malik inclined his head. "Takio Isihara."

Kaiba remained silent, arms crossed. Malik elbowed him, but he didn't respond.

"That's Sorien Miasawa," Malik said to the girl. "He's more the quiet type."

Kaiba glared at him, and sniffed. "Hardly."

Bakura brought his hand up to his mouth in mock surprise. "Omigosh—he talked! It's a miracle!"

The girl smiled. "Hi, all. My name's Mikayla—Mikey. Mikey Labrador."

Merekai choked on her soda. John and Dean's jaws dropped. Dustil stopped in mid-sentence, eyes wide. Terra froze in the act of reaching for a fry. I just stood there, stunned.

"_Who?_" the five of us asked at once.

Mikey looked around at us, and suddenly burst into tears. She sprinted away, sobbing.

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "What's _her_ problem?"

Terra remained frozen, staring at where Mikey had stood. "I…I can't believe that was actually _her_…"

"Her _who?_" Malik demanded. He was ignored, though.

"What was _she_ doing here?" Dean asked out loud to himself. "She might have lost a lot of money, but hasn't she got more than enough left to visit the most expensive places in Miami? Why'd she choose this mall?"

John gave his head a little shake. "Whoa. Rewind a sec. Are we sure it's…?"

Dustil nodded firmly. "Definitely."

"Sorry to interrupt," Bakura said loudly, drumming his fingers on the table, "but _who,_ exactly, are you talking about?"

I turned to them. "That…was _the_ Mikayla Labrador, fourteen-year-old CEO of Labrador Incorporated, which is—well, _was—_a high-rated gaming company."

That made Kaiba sit up straighter. "What do you mean, _was?_" he asked tensely.

"It fell apart after the accident," Terra replied quietly.

"It was all over the news," John explained. For once, he was completely serious. "There was an accident on the MetroRail a year or so ago—twenty people died. Included in those twenty were thirty-five-year-old Jacob Labrador, thirty-four-year-old Sonya Labrador, and six-year-old Marissa Labrador. Mikayla was left completely alone with her father's business and no way to run it. It collapsed around her ears."

"Now she lives alone," Merekai continued. "She has this big two-story house, and lives completely by herself in it. She's got a lot of money left—but it's nowhere near enough for everything."

Ryou stood up. "I'm gonna go find her."

Yuugi nodded. "We're right behind you."

I looked at Kaiba. "Well?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll come."

I nodded. "Well, that's settled, then! Let's go find her!"


	5. HtM, Pt 2: Ryou's Confession

**Hitting the Mall, Part II:  
Ryou's Confession**

Ryou started off, a determined look in his eye. We followed him without any further comment, although Bakura did shoot him a "you're-insane-and-you-know-it" sort of look.

I caught up to Ryou. "Why are you so concerned? I mean, I know helping people is what we do, but you're _obsessed_ with helping her or something!"

Ryou didn't even slow down. "Because she's just like I was. All alone, with no one to talk to. No parents; no friends; no…sister…"

"There she is!"

We all looked at where Malik was pointing. Mikey was sitting on the edge of the big fountain, crying to herself.

"Mikey!" Ryou called, as we raced over.

Mikey looked up. Her expression was startled. "W-What are you guys d-doing here?"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "What does it _look_ like we're doing? Trying to figure out why you ran away from us!"

Mikey looked around at us, and we nodded. She closed her eyes. "I…I guess I thought you'd start making fun of me, because of what happened. Everyone does. It's like without my dad to run the business, I'm worthless to everyone."

"You're not worthless!" Yuugi exclaimed. "No one's completely worthless! Not _everyone_ can hate you that much!"

Mikey nodded glumly. "Sure they can."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Mikey sat with her eyes closed, head bowed. Everyone else just looked at each other, stunned.

"_We_ don't hate you," Yami pointed out quietly.

Bakura nodded. "I don't know so much the other way around, though."

Terra laughed. "Especially not after you happen to have gotten pranked on by one of _these_ psychos!" She whapped Bakura and John on the back of the head.

"_Hey!_" they exclaimed, gingerly rubbing the backs of their heads.

For the first time, Mikey laughed. She had a nice laugh; it was too bad she didn't use it often enough. "I like you guys."

Ryou grinned at her. "So, you up for being friends?"

Mikey tensed visibly. "Maybe," she said stiffly. Bakura raised his eyebrows.

Ryou shrugged. "If you say so."

Mikey was obviously uncomfortable. She looked around—and spotted an ATM. "Hey—I can grab some money out of that, and we can all go shopping!"

"Sure!" Terra said cheerily, before any of us could respond.

"But _Terra—_" John tried to protest, until Terra dropped her bags in his arms.

No matter what anyone said, Terra stood firm. She wanted to go shopping—and when she wanted to shop, everyone better get out of her way.

Finally, Kaiba had taken it for as long as he could. He grabbed Terra by the shoulders and shook her. "Onna (woman), has it not yet occurred to you that you have just spent _two hours straight_ shopping at this mall?"

Terra was about to protest, but faced with Kaiba's relentless logic, she was forced to stand down.

"I hate you," she muttered, retrieving her numerous bags from John's arms.

"That makes two of us," Kaiba retorted.

John stretched his back, groaning. "Man—at the Olympics, they ought to have a race to see who can carry all of Terra's bags the farthest! Oh, my aching arms!"

Terra glared at him. "Are you making fun of how I shop?" she asked stiffly.

"Of course not! I could _never_ make fun of _that!_"

Bakura sniggered.

Mikey laughed. "Well, then, I guess I'll be going home."

"We can walk you," Dean offered.

"Yeah!" Dustil piped up. "We're going that way, anywho!"

"Any_way,_" Malik corrected.

Dustil rolled his eyes. "Whaaatever."

Mikey rose to her feet, and we started off. I noticed Ryou watching her in that silent, secretive way that he watched anything. He was completely quiet—just watching Mikey, looking forward every now and then to see if he was going to crash into something.

Everyone chattered as we walked—but I noticed that Mikey stood slightly apart from the group. She was with us—but, in a sense, she wasn't.

"Hey, Mikey!" I called. Why are you all the way over there? The _real_ stuff's on in here!"

Mikey smiled slightly, shaking her head. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Come _on!_" Merekai exclaimed, grabbing her arm. "You can't be serious! We're talking about _waffles_ in here!"

"_Merekai!_" everyone exclaimed, sweatdropping.

"What? Waffles are _cool_ to talk about!" She struck a silly pose. "Waffles-waffles-waffles-waffles-waffles-waffles-BLUUUEBERRY WAFFLES!"

Everyone sweatdropped again.

Mikey collapsed into laughter. She was giggling so hard she could barely breathe.

"You remind me of Marik!" she finally exclaimed.

Everyone else stopped dead in their tracks. "_Who?_"

Mikey laughed. "_Not_ the Marik from YuGiOh, if that's what you're thinking—although she _does_ have this obsession for being a pharaoh!"

Everyone except Malik began to snigger.

Malik looked around at the all. "It's _not_ funny!" he said hotly.

"Yes it is," Yuugi pointed out. "Especially since _Malik_ was the one who wanted to be pharaoh in the first place!"

Yami nodded, grinning. "Marik just took over from there!"

Malik rolled his eyes.

Mikey stared at him for a moment. "What's _his_ problem?"

"Nothing," Bakura said quickly. "It's just that Malik and Marik are his favorite characters, and—"

"Hell _no_ Marik isn't one of my favorites!" Malik exclaimed. "Personally, I'm _glad_ he's gone!"

"You _would_ be," Bakura muttered.

Mikey looked at Dean. "Are they _always_ like that?"

"That's barely anything" he replied. "You should see them when they're _really_ ticked."

"And that's _nothing_ compared to when Koran and _Ahkama_ go at it hammer and tongs!" Dustil said smugly.

As if on cue, Bakura stretched out his leg, catching his foot around Yami's ankle.

"_Omaesan!_ (Hey!)" Yami exclaimed, nearly losing his balance.

He glared at Bakura, who was whistling. "What was _that_ for?"

"What did I do?" Bakura asked in an innocent tone that was obviously false. "I'm just walking! 'S not _my_ fault you're a klutz!"

Yami growled at him. "I'm warning you, touzoku (robber)—"

Bakura grinned. "Hey, _you_ started it!"

"I mean it, Bakura—"

Bakura put on a high-pitched voice, and pranced around girlishly. "Oh, look at me! I'm Atemu, the all-mighty, pansy-ass ruler of Egypt! Whoops, the Shadow Games got away! Oh well, I don't care in the least!"

"That is _it!_" Yami snarled. He sprang at Bakura, tackling the tomb robber to the ground.

"Hey, break it up!" John shouted. He and Dean dove into the fray, pulling the two of them apart. It took all of our combine forces—except Kaiba, who never did anything—to stop them from jumping each other again.

"You two should know better!" I admonished. "Please _try_ to control yourselves!"

Bakura drew himself up proudly. "A tomb robber is capable of controlling himself whenever necessary." He smirked, glancing at Yami. "Unlike his highness-ness over there."

Yami growled again. "Chikusho kusemono (damn thief)," he spat.

"_Yami!_" Yuugi exclaimed, his tone reprimanding.

Yami turned to look at him. "What?"

Mikey, meanwhile, had a strange expression on her face. She was murmuring to herself, and I caught a bit of what she was saying; "Bakura…Shadow Games…Yami…?"

She noticed I was looking at her, and jerked her head up. She peace-signed, grinning sheepishly.

I noticed that Ryou was still watching her. Something was up, and I knew it.

"Oh, this is my stop!" Mikey pointed at a large two-story building. It looked rather pretty, really—despite the face that it was starting to fall into disrepair. Kaiba took one look at the place, and visibly fought back laughter.

Whoa—rewind a sec. Kaiba? _Laughing?_ Something wasn't right here.

"See you!" Mikey called, before entering her house and shutting the door.

I looked at my watch; it was almost one o'clock. "All right, guys, we'd better get home. It's getting late."

"But can't we just get _one_ round in at the arcade?" John and Bakura begged at the same time.

Yuugi looked at us. "You have an arcade here?"

Dean nodded. "It doesn't have a lot of high-tech games—just stuff like Pac-Man and Centipede."

Malik shrugged cheerfully. "No clue what those are, but hey! There's always time to learn a few tricks!"

I rolled my eyes. _Boys._ "Fine, we'll go to the arcade—but only for an hour, 'kay?"

"Got it!" was the response from John, Dean, Dustil, Malik, Yami, Yuugi, and Bakura. Simultaneously, they let out a whoop. The three 'real' boys raced off down the street, while the others followed.

I suddenly noticed that Ryou had hung behind with the rest of us, head down, hands in his pockets, eyes shaded by his bangs. I walked over, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ryou? You okay?"

Ryou started, and glanced up at me. He smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I asked skeptically.

"I'm sure," he replied. His voice had a distracted tone.

I glanced at Terra, Merekai, and Kaiba. They were waiting for us at an intersection, seeing as how we had fallen a little behind. "You guys go ahead," I called to them. "Make sure they boys don't blow up the arcade!"

Terra and Merekai nodded. The three of them hurried across the intersection and out of sight.

"Now," I said firmly, turning to Ryou. "What's up with you?"

Ryou looked at me for a minute, and let out an explosive breath. "She's beautiful, she really is."

"Who?" I asked—but I figured I already knew the answer.

"Mikey," Ryou muttered, blushing furiously.

I looked at him, and sighed. "Ryou, Ryou, Ryou…in love, with no one to turn to…"

"Way to rhyme," Ryou muttered.

I shrugged. "It's a gift. Anyway, what you have to do right now is stay quiet about it, and don't look at her too often. If you do, people will know something's up—that's how _I_ figured it out, you were staring at her. If you're going to watch, do it quietly. If she talks to you, don't get embarrassed. And whatever you do, do _not_ tell her how you feel unless you're sure she feels the same."

Ryou sighed, looking up at the sky. "But…I'm worried. Even if she _does_ like me—will it be because of _me?_ Or because of this illusion I'm wearing?"

I shrugged, pushing open the door to the arcade. "Worry about that when the time comes. Now—Dance Dance Revolution, anyone?"


	6. Preparing for a Party

**Preparing for a Party**

_**Merekai POV**_

Ten o'clock Monday morning. Everyone was at their respective houses—and I was B-O-R-E-D bored. I couldn't even make waffles, 'cos the toaster oven had broke! Ryou was over at the TV, watching Dexter's Laboratory. That show is weird—but I like DeeDee.

Anyway.

Suddenly, I had the coolest idea. We could have an anime-themed toga party! It would save everyone from boredom—and be fun at the same time!

"Hey, Ryou!" I called. "You up for getting out of the Kingdom of Insane Boredom?"

"Sure," he called back absently.

Grinning, I picked up the phone. This was gonna be a day to remember!

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

Yuugi was on the computer, playing his new favorite game—Icy Tower. Yami was in the kitchen, doing—well, I had no idea _what_ he was doing. Something involving construction paper and tape—_lots_ of tape. I sat on the couch, absently flipping through channels, bored out of my mind.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Phone's ringing," Yami called distractedly.

"Well, answer it!" I hollered back.

"It's _your_ phone!"

I sighed. That had become an annoying habit of his that really needed breaking.

I reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"WAFFLES! Oh, wait—wrong line! Sorry!"

I sweatdropped. "Whaddaya want, Merekai?"

"Ryou and I are bored—so we decided we wanted to have an anime toga party!"

"I did not!" a voice shouted.

"_Anyway,_" Merekai continued over Ryou's protesting in the background, "we were wondering if you could call John up and ask if we could use his house—mine's _way_ too small!"

I really didn't feel like having a toga party—but anything was better than being bored at home. "Sure. I'll call everyone else up, too."

Merekai squealed. I could almost see her jumping up and down. "That would be the coolest! Thanks, Miri!" She hung up.

"Who was it?" Yuugi asked, peering out from the hall.

"Merekai," I replied. "She wants us to have a toga party over at John's house. I'm calling everyone else up now."

With that, I began to dial the next number.

* * *

_**John POV**_

FWUMP!

THUMPTHUMpTHUmpTHumpThumpthump…

Fwump.

"—Ouch!"

I looked around out of the kitchen. "What's up with the noise?"

Bakura sat at the foot of the stairway, gingerly rubbing the back of his head, still swearing in Japanese at the stairs.

"Watch the steps," I said, grinning evilly.

"_Not_ funny," Bakura muttered, rising to his feet.

The phone began to ring. I picked it up.

"'Allo?"

"Hey, John." It was Miriku—and she sounded really, _really_ bored.

"Oh, hey Miriku—is somethin' up?"

"Only Merekai's weirdness level, if that's even possible. Get this—she wants to have a _toga party_. At _your_ house."

I sweatdropped. "Typical."

"_Very_ typical. But I promised her I'd call and ask if we could come over to your house to do it."

I nodded, then remembered she couldn't see me. "Sure—we don't have anything else to do here, either." I smirked. "Except watch Bakura trip down the stairs for the fourth time, anyway!"

"_Oy!_" Bakura shouted. "That was only _three!_"

I heard three people cracking up on the other end, and looked at Bakura. "Speaking of three—Yami and Yuugi heard that, too."

Bakura groaned. "Shit—now I'll _never_ live this down!"

I grinned. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

* * *

_**Terra POV**_

"DAMMIT, SETO KAIBA! GET YOUR SORRY BEHIND OUT OF BED!"

Still no response. Kaiba slept on—and I was getting more and more frustrated by the second.

Suddenly, I had an evil idea. Miriku had told us about the prank she'd played on Kaiba—pouring water on his face to wake him up. That just might work now.

Chuckling evilly, I crept to the kitchen, and returned to the guest room with a glass of ice water. But just as I was about to dump it, Kaiba's hand shot up, grabbing my wrist.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he said coldly.

"There was no other way to get you awake," I growled. "You sleep like a rock."

Kaiba shrugged, sitting up. "If you had given me a minute or so," he said dryly, "I would have been up. My eardrums were still recovering from your shouting."

"Whatever. Just get out of bed and get dressed."

I left the room, grumbling to myself. Kaiba was a prick—no doubt about that. But I was gonna change that, if it killed me.

_Brrring!_

I picked up the phone. "Cooper residence."

"Hi, Terra—it's Miriku. I have a message for you from Merekai."

"And that is…?"

"The toga party begins at noon, John's place. Be there, or be bored."

I raised my eyebrows. "Toga party?"

"Heh. Don't ask me. She's the one who's providing the stuff—all we really have to do is show up with our favorite animes."

I sighed. "Well, I'll be there, seeing as how I have nothing better to do. Noon, right?"

"Yep. See you there."

* * *

_**Mikey POV**_

What did I want to do today? Did I want to watch my YuGiOh DVDs? Did I want to read? Write? Draw? Write about Ryou? Draw Ryou? Dream about meeting Ryou…?

_Get a hold of yourself, woman. Ryou. Bakura. Is. Not. Real._

But still…

I sighed, looking around my room. Drawings and sketches of Ryou—black and white, watercolor, crayon, and colored pencil—hung on just about every square inch of my wall. In a special spot on my desk lay a binder full of poetry—poetry dedicated to that single character.

I love Ryou, and I have no qualms about saying so. I wish I could really meet him—then maybe I could tell him how I feel.

But whenever I thought about Ryou, my head would become filled with visions of that other boy—Riku. His temperament was exactly the same as Ryou's; he was sweet and loveable and kind. His brown eyes were full of the same compassion, tinged with the same grief.

They were practically the same person.

But…I didn't want someone who was _like_ Ryou. I wanted _Ryou._

The phone rang, breaking my train of thought. I dove at it, snatching it up.

"Labrador residence, this is Mikayla Labrador, how may I help you?"

Whoever was on the other end breathed a sigh of relief. "Mikey! It's Miriku! It took me forever to find your number—my phone book sucks!"

I grinned without meaning to. Miriku and her friends made me forget—if only for a little while. Forget the pain of losing my family; the pain of losing my friends…

"Well, you found me," I replied. "What did you want?"

"You remember Merekai?"

I thought for a moment. I usually remember anyone I've met for the first time by something they've said. _"What? Waffles are _cool_ to talk about!"_

"Waffle girl?"

"Yeah, her. Well, she wants us to have a toga party over at John's house—you remember John, right?

"_Man—at the Olympics, they ought to have a race to see who can carry all of Terra's bags the farthest!"_

"He's the sarcastic blond dude, right? He hangs out with the one twin, Koran?"

"That's the one. Are you coming? Everyone else is!"

I was quiet a moment. It had been years since anyone had thought to ask me anywhere, and I didn't know what to do.

"_Everyone_ is there?"

"Everyone—even our Japanese friends."

For some reason, that made up my mind. "I'm coming," I said firmly. "What's John's address?"

Miriku read it off to me, and I scribbled it down. "Oh—and, Mikey?"

"Yes?"

"Bring anything anime you have. Movies, drawings, fanfiction—whatever. Anything YuGiOh would be really appreciated—by me, at least, if not the others."

I grinned, looking around at all my pictures. This would be fun. "When's the party starting?"

"Noon."

"I'll be there!"

Miriku hung up, and I looked around the room. Getting all my pictures down would take a while—but I had at least an hour. And then I could go to the toga party with my new friends.

_Wait. Where did that come from?_

I'd promised myself I wouldn't make any more friends. Not after what had happened with my other ones.

But it was pretty hard _not_ to think of them as friends. Friends are supposed to help each other, after all—and that's exactly what they'd done for me.

I was most definitely going to that party—I needed it.


	7. The Toga Party

**The Toga Party**

_**Miriku POV**_

By noon, almost everyone was at John's house. The characters were still under the disguise spell, seeing as how Mikey was there.

John sat idly at the kitchen table. Bakura was next to him, cracking random jokes. Dustil was on one of the couches, Malik next to him on one side and Yuugi on the other. Mikey sat on the second, talking to Terra, who sat next to her. Yami and Ryou sat on the coffee table, which had been cleared pending our arrival. Kaiba was leaning against a wall, secluded as usual.

"Where _is_ she!" Dustil exclaimed, bouncing impatiently in his seat—and forcibly reminding me of my little brother, Stuart.

Dean shrugged. "Who knows?"

John yawned. "She'll be here. Right now, I'm waiting for the other person I invited to show up."

"Same here," I added. "Besides, I've never known Merekai to miss _any_ sort of insane party—especially not one _she_ came up with."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Yami, who had brought whatever he was working on to the party, called, "Someone's at the door!"

"Well, _answer it!_" we all hollered.

"All right, already!" He darted over to the door, and looked through the peephole. "She's not Merekai."

"Let her in anyway!" John called.

Yami opened the door, allowing Jane Lynch to enter. Jane is fourteen, with reddish brown hair, blue-green eyes, and lots of freckles. She's about as tall as Merekai.

"Hi, guys!" she chirruped happily, setting her bag against the edge of the couch.

"Jane!" I exclaimed. "What are _you_ doing here!"

"Weren't you supposed to be on vacation?" Terra asked curiously.

"We just got back yesterday," Jane explained. It was then that she noticed the YuGiOh characters—who, as mentioned before, were under illusions—and Mikey. "Who're you guys?"

Before we could answer, there was a shout from outside.

"MIRIIIKUUU!"

The sound of someone slamming headlong into the front door echoed through the house.

"Someone's at the door," Yami called absently again.

Everyone glared at him—including Jane. He held up his arms. "Shimeta, shimeta! I'll answer it!"

Grumbling, he made his way to the door again. "It still isn't Merekai. It's not even a girl."

"Just open the door," I told him.

The second he did, a boy came racing into the room. He was also African-American, and his hair was in hundreds of tiny braids.

"TERRANCE COSBY IS _IN THE HOOOOUSE!_" he shouted—before tripping over an extension cord and landing flat on his face. "…And _that_ happened to hurt…"

All the 'real' people—except Mikey, who didn't know him—looked at me, shocked. "You invited _him!_"

I shrugged. "Hey, I figured it was time for some _real_ insanity—we've had only Merekai for long enough!"

"I resent that remark," came Terrance's muffled voice.

He sat up, looking around. "Who're all these new people?" A half-evil, half-insane grin spread across his face. "Can I eat them?"

"_No!_" everyone exclaimed.

Terrance made a face. "That sucks." He shrugged. "Well, if I can't eat them, who are they?"

"I was wondering the exact same thing," Jane added.

Ryou nodded. "I'm Riku Ohkawa. That's my twin, Koran." He pointed at Bakura, who was now absently twirling a strand of his illusionary blond hair between his fingers.

Malik looked up. "I'm Takio Isihara. Over there is Sorien Miasawa. Don't talk to him—he'll snap at you. Hard."

Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"I'm Taio," Yuugi chirruped. "Taio Maroko. My 'nii-san, Ahkama, is the one who let you guys in."

Yami waved absently, ripping a piece of tape off the roll beside him.

"He's a bit preoccupied right now," Yuugi explained, laughing.

"Wait a second!" Terrance exclaimed. "Ahkama's a _car!_"

I rolled my eyes, knocking him on the back on the head. "'Nii-san is Japanese for big brother, you idiot—it's short of onii-san! I've told you this before!"

Bakura cackled evilly. "We've got another baka in the house!"

"Really?" Yami asked, with an innocent air. "I thought _you_ were the only one! You _have_ tripped down those stairs four times!" He brought his hand to his mouth in mock surprise. "Whoops, I forgot—you only did it _three_ times!"

By now, everyone had cracked up—excluding, as usual, Kaiba.

"I _knew_ you'd never let me live that down," Bakura muttered, sending us into laughter again.

Mikey smiled at Jane and Terrance. "Mikey Labrador. Pleasure."

Jane gaped. "_Labrador?_ Like, the big company?"

"Don't remind me," Mikey groaned.

Terrance grinned evilly. "All I care is that she looks like Miriku." He gasped suddenly, a falsetto look of horror on his face. "MIRIKU HAS AN EVIL TWIN!"

"No," John and Bakura said at the same time. "Miriku _is_ the evil twin!"

Everyone cracked up again.

"Hiya, people! What'd I miss?" Merekai stumbled into the living room, carrying a huge bundle of sheets and such.

Yami followed, an apologetic expression on his face. "You guys didn't here it ring—and _I_ didn't feel like getting shouted at again."

Merekai dropped the bundle on the coffee table, which everyone immediately gathered around. "Okay, I brought lots of sheets—I can show you people how to put the toga thingies on. First off, though, the guys need shorts and we females need shirts and shorts."

"Already taken care of," everyone said at the same time.

Merekai clapped her hands together. "Awesomeness! Everybody'd better change, then—you know, into the tight-fitting stuff. So we can put on the togas."

So, one at a time, everyone changed. All the boys ended up bare-chested with shorts on; us girls ended up with tight-fitting shirts and the same type of shorts as the guys.

Merekai looked us over. "Perfect! Now, come here so I can help you guys into these—"

So that was how all of us—me, John, Dustil, Dean, Merekai, Terra, Jane, Terrance, Kaiba (with intense reluctance), Malik, Yuugi, Yami, Ryou, and Bakura—ended up wearing sheets wrapped around our bodies over close-fitting white clothing and pretending we were Greeks.

"And now," Dean said in his best announcer's voice, "the moment we've all been waiting for!"

"_Movies!_" everyone shouted. Kaiba simply rolled his eyes.

Terrence elbowed him. "C'mon, Sorien—don't be such a party pooper!"

"That would be practically impossible," Dustil said, sniggering.

"_Anyway,_" I said loudly, cutting off the sharp retort we all knew was coming, "who wants dibs?"

"_Me!_" Terra shouted, waving her hand frantically around in the air. "I know it's not anime, but—I brought CSI movies!"

"You're kidding!" Dustil, John, Dean, Mikey, Merekai, Jane, and I exclaimed.

"I never knew you liked CSI!" I said excitedly.

"Of _course_ I like CSI!" Terra admonished. "I like Numb3rs, too, but I don't have any of those!"

"All right," Malik interrupted, "_now_ I'm confused."

"Like _that's_ anything new," Bakura muttered.

Malik shot him a venomous glare, but continued. "What's CSI?"

I grinned. "Only one of _the_ best crime shows ever made on TV—next to Forensic Files, Cold Case, Psychic Detectives, and Numb3rs!"

Terra began to bounce excitedly, nodding. "It's on every Thursday night, and I stay up to watch it. I've seen every episode, and I have them all on DVD, and I spent _way_ too much money on them, and—"

"Onna!" Kaiba interrupted. "_Shut up!_"

Terra scowled at him, but quieted down.

"Arigatou."

By now, people all across the room were sniggering.

"Why don't we just watch the movies?" Jane suggested. She glanced uneasily between Terra and Kaiba, with an I-don't-like-where-this-is-going expression on her face.

"Good idea," Dean said loudly, popping in the first tape.

And so the afternoon passed. We watched CSI and different animes—enjoying the shocked expressions on the characters' faces when we played anything YuGiOh—and we also went in John's pool once or twice.

Finally, Mikey nervously cleared her throat. "I—uh—had something I wanted to show you guys."

She pulled a binder out from its hiding place under the coffee table. "These are some drawings I did."

_Some_ was an understatement. The binder was almost as full of sketches as my story folder is full of in-progress fanfics—and my story folder is a jam-packed two-inch binder.

And all of them were of Ryou.

I watched his eyes slowly widen as we looked through sketch after detailed sketch. No two of the pictures were exactly alike—and they were all perfect in their shading and coloring. All sorts of postures; all kinds of emotions.

"These are…amazing!" Terra breathed. Everyone else simply shook their heads, stunned expressions on their faces.

Mikey shifted uncomfortably. "They're not _that_ good…"

Ryou turned serious eyes to her. "Not that good, you say? The only word that can describe these…is perfect."

Terrance was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that followed. An evil grin spread across his face. "Can I eat them?"

Everyone sweatdropped.

Terrance made a face. "You guys are no fun!"

John shrugged. "Who cares? You're not eating anything except the food, and that's final."

Dustil looked down at his watch. "It's getting really late—maybe we'd better go home."

Jane looked around. "This has been really fun. I'd rather not."

Terra nodded. "Besides, we haven't even had a dueling contest yet!"

Everyone raised their eyebrows. "_Dueling contest?_"

Terra shrugged. "Sure, why not? I haven't dueled in a while—I need to make sure my skills haven't rusted up!"

Dean snapped his fingers. "I know! Why not make this a co-ed sleepover? Boys can sleep in one part of the house, and girls in another. That way, we can do all the duels and such we want!" He turned to John. "And since _your_ parents are still on vacation, we can stay up as late as we want doing it!"

Mikey grinned. "Sounds cool to me!"

Terrance pumped his fist into the air. "Rock on!"

"Count me in," everyone else said at the same time.

Terra elbowed Kaiba, who sighed. "Fine. I suppose I'll have to stay, seeing as how Terra's here."

"Damn straight you're staying here," Terra muttered.

Everyone cracked up again. Terrance practically howled with laughter.

"Is he…all right?" Yuugi whispered uneasily to me, glancing nervously at Terrance.

"He's fine," I replied in an undertone. "That's the way he always acts. Like I said earlier—he's a _real_ psychotic. Think Marik."

Yuugi shuddered. "Not a good image."

I grinned slightly. "Well—think Marik _without_ the insane urge to destroy everything and become pharaoh of the world."

Yuugi shuddered again. "_Still_ not a good image."

I shrugged. "Well, Marik _was_ rated the fourth-baddest baddie in the whole series, according to my magazine."

"Really?" Bakura asked, his interest piqued. "Who were the others?"

With a flourish, I whipped the latest issue of Beckett YuGiOh Unofficial collector out of my bag—Issue #21, complete with a picture of the Cyber End Dragon on the front.

I opened the magazine—and knocked Bakura on the head as he tried to creep around behind me. "No peeking!"

"Damn," Bakura muttered, returning to the front with everyone else.

I reminded myself that I would have to read out the Japanese names—or the characters would never know who I was talking about. Luckily, the first one was exactly the same in both versions.

"Tenth place," I announced dramatically, "goes to—'Bandit' Keith Howard!"

Yami laughed. "Tenth place suits him perfectly!"

"A low rank for a low-life," Yuugi agreed.

I grinned, reading out the info box. "'This former American Duel Monsters champion was a vicious thug who nearly killed Yuugi. Heartless, what he couldn't win by cheating he won through brute force. A good thing he's out of the picture.'"

"A _very_ good thing," Terra agreed.

"Keep going!" Dustil said impatiently.

"Ninth place," I continued, "is awarded to—Leon and Ziegfried, the Shroeder brothers!"

Kaiba snorted. "Those failures shouldn't even be _on_ the top ten list. Their plan didn't even _work_ properly."

"The point is that it _worked_ in the first place," Dean explained. "Now shut up and let the girl read."

I grinned at him, and continued.

"'Of all the attempts to take over the Kaiba Corporation, theirs goes down as one of the weakest. Elder brother Ziegfried bullies younger brother, Leon, into becoming the champion of Kaiba's latest tournament. This is actually a tremendous bluff to destroy Kaiba's computer systems. Ziggy never really comes off as much of a threat—even Leon ends up 'betraying' him. After dealing with Gozaburou, the Big Five, and these two, Kaiba must spend a ton of time doing disaster-level backups of all his systems.'"

"I'll bet he does," Bakura muttered, glancing pointedly at Kaiba. Said CEO simply rolled his eyes.

Yami grinned. I could tell he was enjoying this. "Next?"

"Is Pegasus," I announced. I read the passage aloud;

"'Yuugi's first true villain was a good guy gone mad from the loss of his true love. Since losing the Millennium Eye, he's realized the error of his ways. Still, he _did_ nearly cause the end of the world. That's got to be something.'"

Apparently, no one had any comments, so I continued on.

"In seventh place, we have the Big Five. 'These guys nearly succeeded in wiping out our heroes…twice! Proof positive that you can't keep a good set of heels down, the former Board of KaibaCorp really did earn this position.'"

Kaiba snorted. "Those wimps? Please."

"They _did_ manage to nearly cream us," Yuugi reminded him.

I started, looking around. Neither Mikey, Jane, nor Terrance seemed to have realized Yuugi's little slip-up—which was a good thing.

"Six—Noa Kaiba. 'This virtual villain was as unstable as the bad software he was generated from. Yuugi's world was a safer place after he was virtually deleted.'"

Yuugi shook his head. "He might have been a pretty good person, too."

Yami nodded. "Too bad he deleted himself when he destroyed Gozaburou."

I grinned. "And, speaking of—Gozaburou got fifth. 'For making Kaiba the way his is makes him pretty evil as well. Yet when he went so out of his way to reshape the world in his own image, you have to say it's a good thing he's been wiped clean from both the virtual and real worlds.'"

"Too true," Yami agreed.

"You can say that again," Yuugi murmured.

Kaiba merely snorted.

"Fourth place," I continued, "goes to—Malik Ishtar!"

Everyone (except Mikey, Jane, and Terrance, who didn't know) glanced at Malik.

"'If you needed proof that parental abuse creates disturbed children, look no further than this bad boy. A tomb keeper gone truly rotten by an over-demanding father, not only does Malik kill his dad, he then tries to take over the world! Truth be told, he's really not very good at it, as Yuugi manages to thwart nearly every move he makes. His non-stop ranting also got more and more annoying with each episode. This was one baddie we were glad to see go by the end of his run.'"

Malik, meanwhile, had gone redder and redder with every word. About halfway through, he'd stood up and left, muttering something about needing to use the bathroom.

Bakura glanced down at the text. "So he's a 'disturbed child', hmm?"

Merekai grinned. "And you aren't?"

Bakura growled at her.

Malik returned at that moment. The color had faded from his face, and he was looking back to normal, so I continued.

"In third place—Anubis. 'Only seen in the movie, this ancient Egyptian gave out heroes one heck of a run for their lives. Just for the fact that he was a threat both five millennia ago as well as in the present earns him a lot of props.'"

"I am _glad_ he's gone," Yuugi murmured.

Dean nodded. "_He_ was an obsessive, if I ever saw one."

"I mean, the only other person we know with a five-thousand-year-old- grudge is Bakura," Terra continued. "And we already know that _he's_ insane!"

Bakura growled at her.

"Second place," I continued loudly, "is awarded to Dartz."

"_Only_ second!" Yami and Yuugi exclaimed.

Yuugi shook his head. "You mean there's someone worse than _him?_"

"You'll see," I said mysteriously. "Right now, though, Dartz is up. 'This former king of Atlantis nearly destroyed the world—_twice._ Each time, it took the combined forces of both our universe and the Duel Monsters' universe to stop him. Now _that's_ evil.'"

"And to think there's someone _worse_ out there," Ryou murmured.

I looked up from the magazine. "All right. Before I read this, I need you all to promise me something. No really excited jumping up and down or cheering, and no yelling. All right? No one really likes this character, which I know, so don't get mad because he was voted in first place by a landslide."

I looked back down at the page. "And the first place winner, the baddest of all bad guys in the entire show—so far, anyway—is; Bakura!"

Bakura let out a whoop, pumping his fist in the air. "Baddest of the bad! Give it up for—BAKURA!"

He cheered for himself. Everyone sweatdropped.

"Has he got a problem or something?" Jane asked, perplexed.

"No," I replied. "Bakura is his all-time favorite character. And, if you'll look at Ahkama, you'll see that they're exact opposites."

Yami was, in fact, glaring venomously at Bakura, who was still carrying on about how he was the 'King of Villains'.

Terrance grabbed him by the collar of the shirt. "Calm down! Let Miriku read the text, so we can actually see _why!_"

Grumbling, Bakura sat down on the couch next to John.

"Besides," I head John whisper, "you can use this info as blackmail later."

An evil grin spread across Bakura's face. "Good point."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I read the text box. "'You may think that this guy hasn't been much of a threat. Well, here's a spoiler; he helped trigger the fall of the Pharaoh five thousand years ago. Also, it seems that no matter how hard you beat him, he comes back for more. If that isn't enough, he _still_ has the Millennium Ring and Eye in his possession. Tough, resourceful, heartless, and cunning, you can bet we haven't heard the last of this villain until the end of the series.'"

"Oh yeah!" Bakura shouted. "No keepin' me down! _I AM THE KING OF BAD GUYS!_"

At Mikey, Jane, and Terrance's stunned expressions, Terra quickly tried to explain. "He likes to pretend he's Bakura, for some weird reason. Don't ask me—I'm not a psychotic."

"Are you so sure about that?" Kaiba asked blandly. The whole room collapsed into laughter.

Suddenly, the TV screen began to glow.

I appeared to be the only one who noticed—it was a very faint shimmer. But it was a silvery blue.

Without warning, the character's illusion spells flickered and died.

Bakura, who had been standing on top of the coffee table and proclaiming his greatness to the room at large, froze. "Ah…yeah." He jumped off the coffee table. "Miriku, was this _supposed_ to happen?"

I shook my head, shocked. "No! I didn't say the words—and only person who cast the spell can remove it!"

Mikey, Jane, and Terrance were just staring around at the characters. "No way," they all said at the same time.

Terrance marched up to me, and pointed 'the accusatory finger' in my face. "Miriku, you are an obsessive."

"I know that," I said patiently.

Jane just looked around. "Whoa," she kept saying.

Mikey, meanwhile, just stared at Ryou. Said boy flushed slightly, edging over towards the kitchen.

"Why didn't you _say_ anything?" she demanded.

Terra shrugged. "We figured you wouldn't believe us."

Jane blinked. "Wait—you're in on this, too?"

"Oh, sure!" Bakura said easily, draping his arm around Terra's shoulders. "And so're Dustil, Dean, John, and Merekai!"

Terra reached up to her shoulders, grabbed Bakura's arm, and twisted it around so that if he struggled to get free, it hurt him even more.

"Do _not_ touch me."

Bakura, who was wincing in pain, nodded. The second Terra let go, he darted to the other side of the room.

Terrance shook his head. "You guys are lucky. If I believed this, I'd already be trying to kill Yuugi."

Said boy "meep"ed, running to hide behind Yami.

John's TV screen had been gradually getting brighter. Now, it caught my eye again.

"Whoa, _major_ déjà vu here!" I hollered. "Everyone outta the living room—the TV's turning into another portal!"

Everyone scrambled backwards, ducking behind couches. We heard a few muffled thumps, and then—nothing. I peered over the top of the couch.

"Oh…my…_god!_"


	8. A Friend and a Secret

**A Firend and a Secret**

Katsuya Jonouchi was lying spread-eagle on John's floor. He appeared to be unconscious.

"No _waaay!_" Merekai exclaimed, peering out over the top of the couch. "More people!"

"_Person,_" Terra corrected, also standing up. "And, if I'm not mistaken, that's—"

"Jonouchi!" Yuugi exclaimed, darting over. His face fell when he realized the taller boy was out cold.

Terrance and Jane stared from Jonouchi to the TV, eyes wide.

"So _this_ is what happened to you," Dean murmured, looking at me.

I nodded. "That's exactly what happened. Except the spell book flew out after they did."

Malik sniggered. "Yeah—and it hit Bakura upside the head!"

Bakura chose to ignore that particular comment—which was good, because I didn't really feel like mopping up what remained of Malik when they were done fighting.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Well, _I'm_ all for getting out of _this_ stupid thing before the mutt wakes up." He gestured at the toga.

Terra nodded. "Good idea—we can get back into our regular clothes."

"But _Terra!_" Merekai whined. "This is _fun!_"

"And scaring the torasshu (crap) out of Jonouchi _isn't,_" Yami countered firmly. "Let's get these things off."

"Fine," Merekai muttered. "We're _still_ having waffles tomorrow morning, though!"

Everyone sweatdropped at that remark—even Kaiba.

So, five minutes later, everyone was back wearing the clothes they had arrived in. Ryou had moved Jonouchi onto the largest of the three couches, and by the time everyone was finished changing, he was already starting to stir.

Suddenly, I got an idea. A really, _really_ good idea. Bakura and John would have been proud of me, it was that good. "Everyone find a place to hide!"

"Why?" Terrance asked suspiciously.

I waved my hand dismissively. "Just do it!"

With a long-suffering sort of sigh, Kaiba moved out of sight into the kitchen. Everyone else dove behind or under something. I perched on the arm of the couch next to Jonouchi's head, sniggering inwardly.

* * *

_**Yami POV**_

I crouched behind the coffee table next to Bakura (of all people), watching as Jonouchi opened his eyes.

Miriku grinned down at him. "Hiya, Jonouchi," she said in Japanese. "Welcome to reality. You look like a semi ran you over, and then backed up and did it again."

I nearly laughed out loud at the expression of shock registering on Jonouchi's face. He quite obviously had no idea what was going on, and there was little doubt that Miriku had startled him to no end.

Jonouchi suddenly sprang to his feet. He grabbed Miriku by the collar of her shirt, lifting her two feet in the air. "Who da heck are you, where da heck am I, and how da heck d'ya know my name?" he snarled.

Miriku let out a strangled noise, trying to pull Jonouchi's hand off of her neck. Jonouchi simply squeezed harder.

"The girl deserves it," Bakura muttered with a snigger. "You did try to warn her."

I felt resentment towards the tomb robber. Yes, I _had_ warned her—but this was going a little too far on Jonouchi's part! I had _never_ seen him act like this to a girl!

"Jonouchi!" I exclaimed suddenly, darting out from behind the couch. "Stop it! That's enough! Put her down—_now!_"

Jonouchi was so startled, he let go of Miriku's collar. Almost automatically, I reached out and caught her before she hit the ground.

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

"What do you think you're doing!" Yami berated Jonouchi (in Japanese, of course) as I gasped for air. "You could have choked her to death! Show a bit of self-control!"

"That was…bad prank," I managed to gasp out. "Bad idea. Sorry."

People had meanwhile been emerging from their hiding places. Without warning, everyone except Kaiba and Jonouchi collapsed into laughter. I didn't realize _why_ until I noticed that Yami, after catching me, had been holding me bridal-style in his arms.

Apparently, Yami had just noticed that, too. He blushed scarlet, and let me down onto my feet. I scurried away to stand next to Jane, who was trying to suppress her giggles.

"I think the pharaoh has a soft spot for that girl!" Bakura muttered audibly to John, making Yami and I blush even harder and sending the rest of the room into gales of laughter.

Jonouchi looked around, obviously still confused. He ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair, and sighed. "Can someone tell me what da heck is goin' on here? Like, how I got here, an' why Yami an' Bakura ain't stuck in deir Item things?" Of course, he was still talking in Japanese, which Jane and Terrance don't know as much of as we do, so I had to translate every now and then.

"It's simple, really," Malik began, languishing on the smaller couch. "The six of us—" he pointed to himself, Yami, Yuugi, Ryou, Bakura, and Kaiba, "—got spit out of _her_ TV—" he pointed to me, "—along with some wack-o spell book that gives us a disguise so that other people don't know who we are."

"Why would ya wanna disguise yourselves?" Jonouchi asked, perplexed.

"Because," Dean replied, "You're part of a TV series."

Jonouchi blinked. "Nani?"

Ryou and Yuugi looked at each other, and collapsed into helpless laughter.

"What's so funny?" Dustil asked.

Yuugi wiped tears off of his face, still laughing so hard he could barely talk. "Jo-Jonouchi failed English! He barely understands a word of it, and hardly speaks it at all!"

Realization dawned on Dean's face. "And I just said that in English…oh, brother."

Jonouchi was staring at everybody. "What's so funny, huh? Was it somethin' I said?"

"How about something you _can't_ say?" Kaiba called blandly from the kitchen. "Like, anything whatsoever in the English language?"

Jonouchi whipped around, a scowl on his face. "No one asked _you,_ rich-boy!" he snapped.

Kaiba shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just saying…"

Yuugi grabbed Jonouchi's arm. "Don't let him bait you like that, Jonouchi. He's only doing it because it makes you mad."

Jonouchi scowled darkly at Kaiba, before turning back to us. "Awright, so answer da question. Why do ya need disguises?"

"Because you're part of a pretty popular TV series," Dustil explained (insert gag from Terrance—he doesn't seem to like YuGiOh that much, for some strange reason), "and we don't want you guys being glomped by insane fangirls."

"_Or_ anyone asking questions," John added. "You wouldn't_ believe_ the kinds of stupid questions people here in America will ask."

Jonouchi blinked. "_America?_"

Malik nodded. "America. Don't ask—we have no clue."

No one said anything for a moment. Finally, Jonouchi collapsed onto the couch he'd first been on. "Whoa," he said weakly.

"Whoa," Yuugi agreed.

Terra glanced at the clock—and did a double-take. "Whoa—it's that late already! We'd better get some sleep!"

"Why?" Kaiba asked. "No one's here—we can stay up as late as we want."

Terra rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sure _you_ don't have a problem staying up late, seeing as how all _you_ ever do is work, but _some_ of us are human and actually need to sleep."

Kaiba snorted. "Go ahead. I'll find a computer."

John shook his head vigorously. "No you will _not!_ My mom would _kill_ me!"

Kaiba glared at John for a moment, and then looked at Terra. "Besides, who are _you_ to tell _me_ what to do? Last I checked, you couldn't even prevent your little sister from running out in front of a car!"

Everyone fell dead silent.

Terra stared at him, slack-jawed. When she spoke, her voice was weak. "How…how did you…?"

"It was easy. Entry number twenty-four." Kaiba put on a high-pitched voice. "'Dear Diary; I don't think I can ever forgive myself. My little sister Zena just got hit by a car—and it's all my fault! I tried to tell her not to run off, but she didn't listen to me—she never listens to me! They took her to a hospital, and then she died! And it's all because I'm a bad sister! Now Mom and Dad are talking about moving—we might go to Florida. It's on the other end of the country from home here in California. I hope I make new friends—but they'll never be like Zena. I miss her already. I'm such a bad sister…. I don't think I'll tell anyone about Zena. I don't want people to hate me…because wherever Zena is now, she probably hates me, too. Terra Cooper, February 17, 1997.'"

Everyone was staring at Terra. She bowed her head, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "It's true," she whispered. "It's all true…she didn't listen…and now she's dead…"

She looked up at Kaiba, anger in her eyes. "Why did you have to remind me about it! I'd almost forgotten—I was almost over it! I'd almost accepted it! Why did you have to ruin it!" Her voice rose to a scream. "_DAMN YOU AND YOUR CURIOSITY, SETO KAIBA! WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST LEFT WELL ENOUGH ALONE!_"

Her voice broke. She turned with a sob and fled to one of the rooms. We heard the slamming of a door somewhere in the hall.

"That was _real_ smart, rich-boy," Jonouchi muttered.

Kaiba just shook his head. There was an expression of utter shock on his face.

Mikey stared after Terra. "Poor girl," she murmured.

I was feeling slightly numb. Not only was the fact that Terra even _had_ a little sister a shocking revelation, but add in the fact that said sister was _dead…_

And then there was the manner in which the information had been revealed. Right then, I felt like roasting Kaiba over a slow fire until he met the criteria of 'well-done', and the bringing him back to life just so I could do it again.

Bakura held up his hands. "I know you guys are all up and feeling sorry for Terra at the moment, but…" He sniggered, and continued. "Am I the only one who finds it shocking that _Kaiba_ was reading a girl's _diary?_"

Everyone turned to look at Kaiba who shifted uncomfortably. "What of it?" he snapped irritably. "If she didn't want anyone reading it, she shouldn't have left it on her counter in the first place! Now, if you'll excuse me, _I'm_ going to bed." He marched off without a backward glance.

"I _still_ say there's something between them," Bakura muttered audibly to John and Terrance.

"Shove it, thief!" Yami snapped. "That's your problem—you just don't know when the joke is over!"

"Well, _excuuuse_ me!" Bakura retorted. "I'm just pointing out the obvious!"

"If it were obvious, then you wouldn't need to point it out!"

My temper snapped. "Will you two _please_ just _shut up!_"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakura snapped at me.

"If it weren't for me, you guys'd be on the streets!"

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't _be_ here in the first place!"

Ryou stood up. "All three of you, please! This isn't getting us anywhere!"

The three of us sat down—Yami and I glaring at Bakura, and vice versa.

"I think we'd all better get some sleep," Mikey finally said into the silence. "John, you'll have to figure out where everyone is sleeping—I'm sure the yamis and hikaris can share rooms, but I'm not so sure about the rest of us."

John nodded absently. "Yeah…let's go."


	9. Apologies and Confessions

**Apologies and Confessions**

_**Kaiba POV**_

It was late—really late. Somewhere around ten thirty.

For some reason, I just couldn't get to sleep. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. Time trickled away, and I just couldn't seem to find rest.

Terra Cooper.

That was why I couldn't sleep. Remembering the expression on her face kept me tossing and turning, unable to reach oblivion.

I honestly hadn't known it would affect her that badly. When I had said that…well, I'd only been trying to prove a point!

…Hadn't I?

No matter how much I argued with myself, nothing resolved the problem. I finally decided that the girl needed an apology.

I rose to my feet, made sure the buttons on my shirt were fastened properly, and slipped out into the hall. I crept past doorways, until I heard a faint sob from behind one of the doors. Slowly, I pushed it open.

Terra was lying face down on the bed. Still in her day clothes; still crying.

"Go away," came her muffled voice. "I don't want to talk about it."

I crossed my arms. "Too bad. I do."

Terra looked up at me. I could see the startled expression on her face. The startlement quickly faded into bitterness, and she looked away. "Come to make fun of me some more?"

I sighed. "Look, I—"

"Did it ever occur to you that my diary is _private?_" she continued, cutting me off. "That it might be a place where I write things that _aren't for other people to read?_ That maybe—_just maybe—_there was things in there that I'd like to _forget_ about?"

I winced.

"Do you know how _long_ it took me to get over that?" she hissed. "_Five years._ And now I have to go through it all over again, thanks to you!"

"Look, onna," I interrupted before she could continue, "I didn't come here so you could chew me out. I came here to apologize. But if you want me to leave, I'll leave." I turned and began to open the door.

"Wait…" I looked over my shoulder.

Terra was now sitting up, looking at me. "You mean it? You're really sorry?"

I thought a minute. "Actually…yeah, I guess I am."

Terra beamed at me. Almost automatically, she jumped up and hugged me.

"Uh…Cooper? Would you mind letting go of me?"

Terra backed away, blushing. "Uh…yeah. You can go to bed now, if you want."

"I was just about to."

I exited the room, closing the door firmly behind me. I crept to my own room, shut the door, and collapsed onto the bed.

I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Finally, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_**Yuugi POV**_

I opened my eyes, not sitting up. I had heard something, and it had woken me up. I just wasn't quite sure what that something was.

Suddenly, I heard what must have been what woke me up. It sounded like someone ripping tape off of a dispenser.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Yami? Is that you?"

I heard him start, and then a flashlight shone up at me from the sleeping bag on the floor. He was working on—well, whatever it was he'd been working on that he'd brought from Miriku's place.

"What _is_ that?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing," Yami said evasively, trying to push it out of sight. I grabbed it before he could move it too far, took his flashlight, and pulled the object up to my line of sight.

It was a finely detailed wood carving, with small pieces of construction paper taped to it. Different colors defined different parts; and it was almost complete. I recognized the figure immediately.

"Yami," I said quietly. "Is this…_Miriku?_"

Yami didn't respond—but the way his face went as crimson as his eyes was all the reply I needed.

I laughed quietly. "Bakura was right—you _do_ have a soft spot for her!"

Yami blushed even harder, his face miserable. "So?"

I grinned at him. "Nothing. I won't tell anyone, if you don't want me to."

"That would be a _very_ good idea," Yami mumbled, taking the carving and pushing it under the bed. "Arigatou."

"Ikuraka," I replied softly, already slipping back into sleep.

* * *

_**Mikey POV**_

I could hardly believe it. This was even better than my friend Marik and her brain condition that made her pretend she was Ryou—this time, it was actually _him._ I actually _saw_ him.

I was still in shock. He had looked at my fan art, and said it was perfect. And there's no greater praise than to be told a portrait is perfect by the subject of said picture.

Especially if said subject was Ryou…

I heard my door creak open, and looked up. Because my glasses were on the floor next to my sleeping bag instead of on my face, I couldn't tell whether it was Ryou or Bakura—all I saw was the white hair.

"Mikey? You awake?"

It was Ryou. I nodded, sitting up. "You can come in," I whispered back, "just please don't turn on the light. I don't want Miriku waking up." I gestured at the other side of the room, where Miriku was curled up inside her sleeping bag, cradling the Yami plushie I had seen on accident without her noticing.

Ryou came in and shut the door. He stood still for a moment, letting his eyes get used to the dark, then came over and sat cross-legged next to me. "Mikey…there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

He fell silent for a moment. I remained quiet, waiting. I've seen enough of the episodes with Ryou in them to know that sometimes, it takes a minute or two for him to get going.

"You remember when we met?"

I giggled. "You mean, yesterday?"

Ryou laughed a little. "Was it only yesterday? It seems like I've known you for ages…"

He looked me straight in the eye. "You aren't like most other girls, you know that?"

"How's that?" I asked defensively.

Ryou held up his hands. "No offense," he said quickly. "You're…different. Not worse—just different. And that's why…well, I…"

He fidgeted nervously, and fell silent. But the look he gave me said everything.

"Ryou…"

He nodded.

I smiled a little at him. "Me, too…"

"I don't think so!"

Ryou and I jumped. At the same time, we looked over at Miriku. She was still asleep, but she was talking.

"I activate…Mirror Force! All…monsters…Graveyard…! Now I summon…Magician…Dark Magic Attack!"

She babbled on for a few more minutes, and then fell silent.

Ryou grinned at me. "I'd better go, before she wakes up."

I grinned right back. "Or Bakura. You _really_ don't want _him_ to know where you've been!"

Ryou laughed softly. "True. I'll go now." And he stood up and scampered quietly out the door, shutting it behind him.

I snuggled back under my covers, a warm feeling in my chest. I felt as if a heavy weight had been taken off my shoulders. Finally, it was out in the open.

And…I never thought I'd be able to say this, but now I knew that Ryou loved me back…


	10. Terra VS Kaiba

**Terra VS Kaiba**

_**Miriku POV**_

CLANNNG! CLANNG!

"All right, nemutai (sleepyhead)! Up and at 'em! It's time for breakfast!"

I glared from under my blanket at Bakura, who was banging a spoon against the bottom of a frying pan right above my head. "What time is it?" I growled.

"Ten thirty," he replied smugly, turning to exit the room. "I'm not _that_ stupid, you know."

I waited patiently, listening. There was a loud thump, then a lot of smaller thumps, each one punctuated by a curse in a different language.

"Care to repeat that statement?" I called, just as smugly.

"Tojikomeru (shut up)!" Bakura snapped. I could hear everyone in the kitchen roaring with laughter.

Smiling to myself, I got dressed and headed down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, I smelled waffles, bacon, syrup, jam, etc.

"You talk in your sleep, you know," Mikey said, as I sat down at the table.

"How would you know that?" I asked defensively.

"Oh—just a hunch." She imitated my voice. "I summon Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!"

Everyone burst out laughing. I blushed, realizing that I had been having that exact dream.

Looking around, I changed the subject. "Where are Yuugi, Merekai, Kaiba, and Terra?"

Jane shrugged. "The first two are in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. The second two haven't come down yet—I'm guessing they're still asleep."

Dustil glanced nervously towards the downstairs hall. "I hope they haven't managed to get at each other—I honestly can't decide who would win if they started trading punches."

At that moment, Terra trudged in, yawning. "Morning, guys."

"Mornin'," everyone replied.

Jane leaned across the table. "Are you feeling better today?"

Terra smiled tiredly at her. "A little."

"Where's the food?" Terrance muttered irritably. He looked over towards the kitchen and hollered, "Hurry up, Waffle Woman! I'm starving!"

Merekai poked her head out of the kitchen. "My name's Merekai! And the waffles are almost re—"

Suddenly, a resounding clang echoed through the house.

"_Yuugi!_" Merekai exclaimed. "That was the bacon!"

"Gomen, gomen!" Yuugi said quickly, picking up the frying pan. "I can make more!"

Merekai sighed in exasperation, bringing a plate full of waffles out onto the table. "Eat up, guys! The bacon'll be out in a few minutes!"

At that moment, Kaiba entered. He had a preoccupied look on his face—and we knew _something_ must have been up when he sat down at the table without comment and began to nibble on a waffle.

Everyone at the table exchanged surprised looks. This was a _very_ different Kaiba than from the night before.

Another clang echoed from the kitchen. "_Yuugi!_" everyone exclaimed.

Yuugi poked his head out of the kitchen, grinning sheepishly. "At least it wasn't the bacon this time!"

Jonouchi sighed, grumbling about how he didn't understand a word of what anyone was saying.

Terrance elbowed him, grinning. "Don't worry—you'll be coming over to my house, and all we speak is English!"

Jonouchi edged away from Terrance a bit, eyeing him nervously.

"Stupid girl," Kaiba suddenly muttered, making everyone jump. Terra glanced sharply at him.

"You know what?" Dean asked thoughtfully, when everyone was finished with breakfast. "We _still_ haven't had that dueling spree…"

Terra blanched. "That was just a joke!"

"Really?" Kaiba asked blandly. "Sounded like you meant it to me." He snorted. "I doubt you'd be able to beat anyone, anyway."

"Was that a challenge?" Terra asked coolly. Everyone fell silent.

Kaiba smirked at her. "Bring it."

* * *

_**Terra POV**_

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON'T HAVE DUEL DISCS HERE!_"

I sweatdropped. Miriku had been worrying about how to break that to Kaiba—she'd told me so herself.

Miriku winced. "No, that's not what I said!" she exclaimed. "We have _fake_ Duel Disks—things that _look_ like the real ones, but don't have the holographic projectors or anything."

"I still think you Americans are LTBs (low-tech bastards)," Kaiba grumbled.

"Hey!" Terrance exclaimed. "Just because our president is a dumbass doesn't mean _everyone_ in America is!"

"I beg to differ," Kaiba retorted.

I growled at him. "Okay, now you are _definitely_ going down!"

Kaiba crossed his arms. "Try me."

Miriku opened her mouth to speak.

"And I'm _not_ dueling without a properly-working Duel Disc," he snapped.

"Damn you."

She reached into her pocket, and pulled out what looked like a tiny book. It grew to normal size before our eyes, and Miriku began to flip through it, murmuring to herself.

"There's gotta be _something_ in this stupid book!" she exclaimed.

Yuugi peered at the page she was on. "How about this one?"

She glanced down at the page again. "Which one! …Oh. I didn't see that one."

She smiled sheepishly. Everyone else sweatdropped.

She read off some weird-sounding words, and a streamer of silvery-blue mist spiraled out of the pages. Only Miriku and the YuGiOh characters—except Jonouchi—didn't look surprised.

Figures.

Anyway, two tendrils of mist wound themselves around our decks, and the rest dissipated.

"There," Miriku said triumphantly. "This spell projects a three-D image of any two-dimensional figure it's been tuned to. In this case, YuGiOh—Duel Monsters—cards. You'll still have to play on a table, though."

"This _sucks,_" Kaiba grumbled, sitting down at the kitchen table across from me.

I grinned, sliding my deck across the table for him to shuffle. "Deal with it."

Kaiba glared daggers at me, before sliding me his own deck.

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

After Terra and Kaiba were done shuffling each other's decks, they drew five cards.

"Duel!"

**Terra: 8000  
****Kaiba: 8000**

Merekai pulled a coin out of her pocket. "Heads or tails, Kaiba?"

Kaiba studied the coin a moment—a normal, uninteresting quarter—and said firmly, "Tails."

Merekai flipped the coin onto the table—and it turned up heads.

"Yes!" Terra exclaimed. "I'll go first!"

She drew a sixth card, and studied her hand. "Hmm…I think I'll summon Amazoness Swords Woman (ATK-1500, DEF-1600)!"

As she slapped the card onto the table, a miniature woman in a fur bikini holding a huge sword appeared. She hollered, swinging the sword in a large arc.

"…Cooool!" Terrance exclaimed, pretty much summing up everyone's feelings.

"Now I'll put one card facedown and call it a turn. Your go, Kaiba-boy."

I saw Kaiba's eye twitch—he _hated_ being called Kaiba-boy, because Pegasus called him that. And I knew Terra knew that.

He drew a card, and scanned his hand. "I'll also put two cards facedown. And then…"

He smirked. "I have _never_ gotten a hand this good before. I activate the magic card Polymerization!"

"Oh, she's in for it now!" Yami murmured.

"I'll fuse the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand to summon—the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK-4500, DEF-3800)!"

Three Blue-Eyes White Dragons appeared on the field, and were quickly sucked into a vortex above them. There was a roar, and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon crashed to the table. Of course, since it was a hologram, it didn't do any damage—but it sure _sounded_ like it. And even with the smaller scale of the holograms, the dragon was still almost a foot high.

"Holy _sh—_" Dustil began, but was cut off by a solid thump on the back of the head, compliments of Bakura.

Kaiba smirked. "Now, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Attack her Amazoness Swords Woman! Neutron Blast!"

A sphere of energy built up in each of the dragon's three mouths. It fired all three, and they swirled together into one, which hit Terra's Amazoness Swords Woman square in the chest.

Terra grinned, moving her monster to the Graveyard pile. "Any Battle damage done to me through Amazoness Swords Woman is subtracted from _your_ life points."

Kaiba growled, punching it into the calculator John had brought out for him.

**Terra: 8000  
****Kaiba: 5000**

"Fine. I'll end my turn."

Terra drew her next card, so that she now had five. "Hmm…I'll set two more cards facedown, put one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."

Kaiba smirked, drawing his next card—giving him two in all. "Playing defensive, are we? Well, I can solve that problem!" He slapped a card onto the table. "I summon Luster Dragon (ATK-1900, DEF-1600)!"

A dragon that was about one-tenth the size of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon appeared on Kaiba's side of the field. Its body was black, and it was covered in dark blue armor.

"Not so fast!" Terra snapped. "I activate Trap Hole! If the monster you just summoned has an attack of one thousand or more—which it _does—_it's sent to the Graveyard."

The card flipped face up. A large hole appeared beneath Luster Dragon, and it was sucked in and destroyed.

Kaiba growled at her. "I still have one monster on the field. Go, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Attack her facedown monster!"

The dragon did just that—firing another triple-blast of energy at Terra's monster. She laughed as it was flipped face-up. "Cyber Jar's flip effect destroys every monster on your side of the field."

True to her word, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was sucked into the jar, which exploded.

"Now each of us draws five cards, and we summon every monster we draw that's level four or less, as long as there's room on the field."

Kaiba nodded, drawing his five. "Very well…I summon Cave Dragon (ATK-2000, DEF-100)!" A squat, greenish-yellow dragon appeared on the field in attack position.

"Kaiser Sea Horse (ATK-1700, DEF-1650)!" A man with bluish-purple, full-body plate armor appeared next—in attack mode—wielding a barbed spear and hexagonal shield made of the same materials as his armor."

"And Luster Dragon (ATK-1900, DEF-1600)!" A second Luster Dragon appeared on the field, also in attack position.

The other two cards—the spell card Mystical Space Typhoon and Luster Dragon #2 (ATK-2400, DEF-1400)—were added to his hand.

Terra nodded, and drew her own cards. "I'll summon Amazoness Paladin (ATK-1700, DEF-300)!" A woman appeared on Terra's side of the field, dressed in a white skirt, bikini top, and tattered blue cape, wearing a gold tiara and carrying a slim sword.

"Amazoness Swords Woman (ATK-1500, DEF-1600)!" A twin of the first monster Terra had played appeared, brandishing her sword.

"And finally, Amazoness Tiger (ATK-1100, DEF-1500)!" A large tiger appeared, roaring its defiance at the monsters on Kaiba's side of the field.

Terra smirked as she added the monsters Steel Ogre Grotto #2 (ATK-1900, DEF-2200) and Mobius the Frost Monarch (ATK-2400, DEF-1000) to her hand. "Amazoness Paladin and Amazoness Tiger's effects raise their attacks by one hundred and four hundred points, respectively, for every card on my side of the field with 'Amazoness' in their names—_including themselves!_" As she spoke, Amazoness Paladin's attack shot to 2000, while Amazoness Tiger's went up to 2300. "_And,_" she continued, "When Amazoness Tiger is face up on my field, she's the only Amazoness you can attack!"

Kaiba swore under his breath. "I'll put one card facedown end my turn."

The stats stood thus; Kaiba had two cards in his hand, whereas Terra had three. Kaiba had Cave Dragon, Kaiser Sea Horse, and Luster Dragon on his side of the field in attack mode, as well as two cards facedown. Terra had in attack mode Amazoness Paladin, Amazoness Fighter, and Amazoness Tiger, as well as two facedown cards.

Terra drew her next card, and smirked. "I'll activate the spell card Axe of Despair, and equip it to—"

"Not quite! Kaiba retorted. "I activate Magic Jammer! Your card is destroyed."

A glowing green ring of runes appeared around the newly-formed axe, and blue smoke issued from it. The axe shattered into pixels.

Terra growled as she sent it to the graveyard. "Screw it, then. Amazoness Tiger, attack his Cave Dragon!" The tiger leapt at the dragon, claws extended, and ripped it to pixels.

"Amazoness Paladin—get his Kaiser Sea Horse!" Amazoness Paladin swung her sword, cutting Kaiba's monster in two.

Terra nodded. "I'll end my turn.

**Terra: 8000  
****Kaiba: 4600**

Kaiba drew, and a smirk played across his face. "You're in for it now. First, I'll activate the magic of Monster Reborn, to bring my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon back to the field!" Even as he spoke, the huge, three-headed dragon appeared on the field. "And I'll activate the trap card Call of the Haunted, to bring from my graveyard one Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" One of the two facedowns on his field flipped up, and the dragon reappeared.

"Now, I'll activate the spell card Megamorph, and equip it to my Blue-Eyes White Dragon! As long as my life points are lower than yours, this card doubles my dragon's attack!" Terra groaned.

"Now, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack that Amazoness Tiger!" The dragon shot its trademark triple-blast at the Tiger, who shattered with a scream. Amazoness Paladin's attack dropped to 1900.

"Kaiser Sea Horse, attack her Amazoness Swords Woman!" Kaiser Sea Horse charged forward, ramming his barbed spear through Terra's Amazoness Swords Woman and destroying her. Amazoness Paladin's attack dropped to 1800.

"And now, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack that Paladin!" The second dragon fired its own trademark blast of blue-white lightning at the Paladin, which exploded into pixels. As Terra's life points dropped lower than Kaiba's, Megamorph halved the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's original attack to 1500.

Kaiba smirked. "I'll end my turn."

**Terra: 900  
****Kaiba: 4300**

Terra growled at Kaiba as she drew. "First, I'll activate two copies of Dian Keto the Cure Master, to increase my life points to twenty-nine hundred. And now, I'll activate the trap card Chithonian Polymer!"

Suddenly, and orange-red creature that appeared to have been made out of flames darted over to Kaiba's side of the field and dragged the Blue-Eyes Ultimate dragon onto Terra's. "Thank you, Cybernetic Revolution booster packs! This card allows me to take control of any one Fusion Monster on your side of the field!"

She grinned. Now, I'll activate the spells De-Spell and Change of Heart to take control of your Blue-Eyes—_and_ to remove Megamorph!" The dragon was dragged across the field to stand next to the Ultimate Dragon, attack points returned to 3000.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack his life points directly!" Blue-Eyes fired its lightning directly at Kaiba, bringing his life points to thirteen hundred.

"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon—do your stuff!" The dragon charged up its triple blast, and fired.

"Not so fast!" Kaiba snapped. "I activate the trap card Magic Cylinders! Your attack is reflected back at your own life points!" The blast flew into one cylinder and out the other, slamming right into Terra's face.

**Terra: 0  
****Kaiba: 1300**

Kaiba crossed his arms. "Not only are you an LTB, but…"

He smirked. "You play a pretty good duel."

He stood up and walked off, all of us staring after him.

Terra stood up and marched over to me. "Did I just almost beat Seto Kaiba? And did he just compliment me on my dueling?"

Yami nodded. He was obviously shocked. "That…seems to be the case…"

Yuugi stared at Terra. "I don't know if you know this already, but Kaiba has never complimented _anyone—_for _anything._"

Terra turned back to me, eyes wide. When she spoke, her voice was stunned. "Miriku…"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure I don't hit the floor too hard…"

And she fainted.


	11. The End of the Insanity, Or Maybe Not!

**The End of the Insanity...Or Maybe Not!**

"I have an idea!" Bakura exclaimed. "Why don't we pour water on her face?"

"Nah, that's a dirty trick," Malik replied

John smirked. "Exactly."

Yami sighed, sweatdropping. "Why don't we just wait until she wakes up?"

Terrance groaned. "But that'll take forever—and I'm starving!"

"_Terrance!_" everyone exclaimed.

"…What?"

We were all sitting in the living room, discussing ways to wake Terra up from her faint, which she'd been in for the past fifteen minutes.

"I have an idea."

We jumped. Kaiba had been off doing his own thing ever since completing his duel with Terra, and we hadn't heard him come back.

"And what's _your_ idea?" Malik asked suspiciously.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Just move over."

He crept over to Terra, and whispered in her ear; "Hey…do I see a CSI DVD that you don't have?"

Terra leapt to her feet, looking wildly around. "_Where?_" The whole room collapsed into laughter.

Kaiba crossed his arms, smirking at her. "What do you mean, where? You already have every movie you can get your hands on—I wouldn't be surprised if you had up-and-coming episodes on pre-order!"

That just made us laugh even harder. Terra shot Kaiba a venomous glare, and looked at her watch. "It's almost noon! Daaang—that's almost twenty-four hours straight spent in this madhouse!"

Mikey looked at her watch. "She's right—it's already eleven forty-five. I've got to go."

"But _guys!_" Merekai whined.

Jane sighed. "Merekai, you can _not_ tell us that twenty-four hours wasn't enough."

Merekai pouted. "No, it's not! I haven't even introduced you to Blueberry Waffles yet!"

Dean and Dustil looked at each other. "I'm outta here!"

John grinned as everyone except Bakura collected their things, preparing to leave. "This was fun—maybe we could do it again sometime."

"_Maybe,_" everyone said at the same time.

I sighed. "I've got to put everyone's illusions back on, so come over here."

All the characters approached, and I raised my hand. "_Dissimulo!_" All the illusions flickered to life—except Jonouchi's. I'd forgotten that he didn't have one.

"Uh…yeah. Everyone better stand back while I give Jonouchi his illusion thingy."

Jonouchi fidgeted nervously, stepping forward. I read off the illusion incantation, envisioning Jonouchi's new body. As before, there was a blinding flash of white light, and when it faded, Jonouchi looked different from his original form.

His shaggy blond hair was longer in the back, and more of a sandy brown. His eyes were a little sharper. His body was lank and skinny—you could see his wrist bones.

"Oy!" Jonouchi exclaimed. "What's da big deal! How come I gotta look like a stick!"

I sweatdropped. "Look at it this way, Jonouchi—you have more room to fill up when you eat."

Jonouchi's eyes brightened, and I immediately knew that I should have kept my mouth shut.

Terrance grinned at him. "C'mon, blondy boy—let's get to my place."

Jonouchi looked uneasily at him. "Uh…how 'bout I go wit Mikey, eh?"

Mikey nodded. "Fine with me—I'm done packing now, anyway. Let's go." The two of them walked out John's front door. Terrance followed, grumbling.

Merekai, Ryou, and Jane were next to leave. The two girls were giggling at something, and Ryou was staring between them like they were insane.

Dustil, Malik, and Dean shot each other exasperated glances, before heading out the door as well.

Kaiba sighed as he and Terra finished packing up their things. "Oh, well…over the river and through the woods, to madwoman's house we—OWW! Hey, what the—!"

Terra had grabbed him by the ear, and was pinching it tightly. "Let's go," she growled, yanking him along.

He winced. "All right, all right! Just let go!"

"Uh, let me think about that…_no!_"

We didn't hear anything else from them, because the door slammed shut.

As soon as it did, the five of us that remained collapsed into laughter.

After about four minutes straight of laughing my head off, I stopped for air. "All right, we'd better go home now—see you all later."

John blinked. "Wait a sec—I know this has nothing to do with anything, but what day is today?"

Bakura glanced at the calendar on the wall. "Tuesday, July tenth," he replied promptly.

John looked at me. "So, that would mean these guys came to this world on…July seventh!" He clapped a hand to his forehead. "I _knew_ I was forgetting something! Miriku, your birthday was on the sixth, right?"

I blushed. "You don't need to worry about it, John—I didn't even get to have a party, anyway! …As usual."

John shrugged. "I'm still getting you a present."

"If you really want to…" I stood up and headed towards the door, Yuugi and Yami in my wake. "See ya."

* * *

I collapsed back onto my couch, relieved to be home. That toga party had been…well, crazy. Of course.

I jumped when my phone rang. _Who is it **now?**_ I thought, picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Miriku! This is so cool!"

"…Terra?"

"Yeah! You know Shining Starr—that karaoke bar down in Homestead that we always go to?"

"Yeah…"

"The one we go to so often that everybody knows who we are?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, it's moving! Here! To Cutler Bay!"

I could have sworn I heard Kaiba groan in the background, "Are you _still_ on about that?", and then yelp as Terra hit him.

My eyes widened. Shining Starr was, like Terra had said, a karaoke bar for kids and teens. Of course, it wasn't a _real_ bar, but it was built like one—and it had a stage for people to go up and sing on. You could also rent out a small, private, soundproofed room for a dollar an hour, and sing to you heart's content where no one could hear you.

"No way!" I exclaimed. "I have _got_ to tell everyone else!"

Terra laughed. "Well, everyone who likes the place, anyway. Ja ne!" There was a click as she hung up.

"Who was it?" Yuugi asked curiously, as he and Yami peered out from the hall.

"Terra—and she had the coolest news! Our favorite karaoke bar is moving up here from Homestead!"

"A karaoke bar, hmm?" Yami murmured thoughtfully.

Yuugi grinned. "Sounds like fun!"

I rolled my eyes. "Of _course_ it's fun! It's a _karaoke bar,_ for goodness' sake!"

On that note, I picked up the phone and began to call more people—more being Dean, Merekai, Dustil, and John. As per John's idea (Omigosh! John had an idea that _didn't_ involve pranking someone! What is the world coming to?), I also called Mikey and explained to her the whole karaoke thing.

"A karaoke bar? …Cool! Are we going to go?"

I laughed. "Of course we are! Just…not today. First off, it's not even open yet. Second, I think we've already had enough insanity for a little while, don't you?"

Mikey sighed. "I guess you're right."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the rec room that sent a tremor through the whole apartment, and a shout of pain.

"MIRIKU-SAN!" Yuugi's panicked voice shouted. "HELP!"

I hung up on Mikey, ran as fast as I could to the rec room—and froze. My whole bookshelf had toppled over. It was now laying almost flat on the floor, everything that had been on or in front of it crushed beneath forty pounds of solid oak.

And that everything included Yami.

Yuugi was scrabbling frantically at the edge of the bookshelf, where Yami's hand protruded from the mess of paper and books. "Help me, Miriku!" His voice was frantic.

"_Move over!_" I exploded, grabbing the edge of the bookshelf. Yuugi ran over to the other side and did the same.

Slowly, we managed to lift the bookshelf—too slowly. Even after six minutes of pulling and shoving, we'd only managed to lift it about a foot. Yami was completely still.

"Hurry, Yuugi—get him out from under there! We can't lift this thing any farther!"

I braced my shoulder against the bookshelf. Quick as a flash, Yuugi snaked his hand underneath it, yanking Yami out by the arm. I let the bookshelf fall back to the floor with a thud, and bent over to examine Yami.

He was obviously unconscious. Bruises were forming on all visible parts of his body—i.e., his arms and face. A long cut ran from the corner of his right eye to just below his lip, bleeding sluggishly. His left wrist was twisted at an odd angle.

I scooped him up and ran to the living room, depositing him gently on the couch. "Go to the bathroom and bring me the blue bag," I snapped at Yuugi. He darted away.

I ran my fingers along Yami's wrist, and grimaced. It was fractured—nothing time and a makeshift splint couldn't fix.

Yuugi tapped on my arm, and held out the bag. It was navy blue, with a red cross on it.

I dug into the bag, pulling out a long roll of bandages. "Come here, and hold Yami's wrist—like this."

Yuugi winced as Yami's wrist popped. "What are you doing?" he asked, horrified.

"Trying to get his wrist bones back in place," I explained patiently. "Now get over here and hold them so I can wrap them up!"

Yuugi complied, grimacing. "Will it hurt when he wakes up?"

I snorted, wrapping the linen as tight as it would go around Yami's wrist. "Hell yeah it'll hurt—trust me. I got a fractured wrist when I was six." I tied off the linen, and reached for a bottle of disinfectant for the cut. "What happened, anyway?"

Yuugi sighed. "Yami was trying to pull out one of the books on the bottom shelf—the one on the far left."

I nearly dropped the bottle. "What was it called?"

Yuugi closed his eyes for a moment. "Ano…I think it was…'The Monster Book of Questions and Answers'…? Hai, that was it. A big blue book."

I clapped a hand to my forehead. "I was using that book to help keep it standing! If you take that book out, the whole bookshelf sags over—and with the weight of all those books, it's no wonder it collapsed!"

Yuugi watched me anxiously. "Shouldn't we take him to a hospital?"

"No—that wouldn't be a very good idea."

"But why _not?_" I heard the rising panic in his voice.

I turned around and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Calm down, Yuugi. _Think._ We _can't_ take him to a hospital—they'll want to see his birth records. And he doesn't _have_ any birth records—not even in ancient Egypt. Not in my world."

Yuugi nodded slowly. "You're right…"

"I know." I turned back to Yami, and picked up the bottle of disinfectant and the cotton swab again.

At that moment, someone began to pound on the door. "_MIRIKU!_" Terra roared.

"Get the door, Yuugi," I snapped. Yuugi darted over to the door, and returned in seconds with Mikey and Terra.

Terra froze, and then ran up to me. "Miriku, what happened here!"

"My bookshelf collapsed," I replied, pressing a clean cloth against the cut to slow the flow of blood out of the cut. "He tried to pull out the support book—the 'Monster Book of Questions and Answers'."

"Oh."

"Where are Jonouchi and Kaiba?"

"Still at the house. Well, Kaiba's still at my house and Jonouchi's still at Mikey's."

I glanced up at them. "How did you know something was wrong?"

Mikey stepped forward. "I can answer that. You see…"

* * *

**Flashback**

_**Mikey POV**_

I heard a loud crash on the other end of the line, and Yuugi calling for help. The line went dead—Miriku must have hung up.

I froze, not knowing what to do. Something must have been very wrong for her to just hang up like that.

Jonouchi looked at me. "What's da problem?"

"I think something's happened at Miriku's place!"

Jonouchi's eyes widened. "Well, whattaya waitin' for? We gotta go an' help 'em!"

"But I don't know where she _lives!_" I wailed, wringing my hands.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Den call someone who _does!_"

I hadn't even thought of that. I dove into my pocket, pulled out Terra's number, and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Terra!"

"…Mikey?"

"Terra, I think something's gone wrong with Miriku!" I quickly explained to her what I had heard over the phone.

"What the—all right, we need to get over there, _fast!_"

"But what about the others? Don't you think we should—"

"There's no time!" Terra snapped. "If they're in trouble, we need to get there as fast as possible. Tell Jonouchi to stay put—I'll come and pick you up ASAP. Wait outside." There was a click as she hung up.

"Where are ya goin'?" Jonouchi asked curiously.

"To wait for Terra," I replied shortly. "Stay here, and don't eat everything."

Before he could respond, I stepped out the front door. Not two minutes after I did, there was a loud roar, and Terra zoomed up on a motor scooter.

She tossed me a helmet, lifting the visor of her own. "Hop on!" she shouted over the noise of the scooter, patting the seat behind her. I slid onto the seat, quickly donning the helmet.

"Hold on tight!" Terra advised, before flipping down her visor and hitting the throttle.

**End Flashback

* * *

**

_**Miriku POV**_

"…And you know the rest of it," Mikey finished. "We got here, the manager agreed to watch the scooter and helmets, and we came up here."

By this time, Yami's cut had stopped bleeding, and a scab was starting to form. I had pulled off Yami's shirt, shoes, and socks, rolled his pants up to the knees, and was rubbing a poultice on his bruises. "Well, as you can see, I've got it mostly under control—but thanks for your concern. Both of you."

"Is there any way we can help?" Terra asked.

I nodded. "You can help Yuugi pick up the bookshelf while I finish up in here."

The two girls nodded, and went off with Yuugi to the rec room.

I watched them go, and gave my head a little shake. _Is it me, or is this starting to get a little too dangerous…?_

It was at that moment Yami groaned, and I turned my attention back to the business at hand.

Yami's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned again. "Oh, my head…" His voice was raspy. "Where _am_ I?"

I laughed—a little hysterically, I have to admit, but only because I was relieved he was awake. "_Not_ trapped under a forty-pound bookshelf, which you really ought to be thankful for."

He tried to sit up, and hissed in pain. "My wrist—"

"Is fractured," I completed. "You need to take it easy for a while—you're bruised all over the place."

Yami glanced down at his bare chest, and grinned ruefully. "I suppose I am."

He blinked, looking around. "Everything's so blurry—is that supposed to happen?"

I shrugged. "How should I know? I've never had a bookshelf fall on me!" Yami tried to laugh, but ended up gasping in pain.

I looked gravely at him. "Don't exert yourself too much—in fact, just stay here on the couch for a while. Lie down and rest. I've got to go help fix the bookshelf."

**OooO**

_**Yami POV**_

I watched her walk away, rolling up her sleeves in the process. I then lay back down on the couch, staring at my bound wrist.

Miriku was a jack of all trades, if I ever saw one. She could cook; she could write; she could read; she could talk anyone into anything. And now, she also appeared to be a professional nurse.

This girl got more interesting by the day.

_Where does she learn so much about everything…?_ I wondered drowsily.

**_Because she is special. As are they all._**

I jerked my head up—and winced as pain lanced through my chest. "Who's there?" I whispered.

I heard a soft laugh. **_An old friend, O mighty pharaoh._** The voice was full of friendly sarcasm.

My eyes widened. "It can't be—"

**_You have guessed it. Do not name me aloud, though, for I am not who you remember. Not yet. The arrival of yourself and your friends has awakened me—but for now, my powers lie dormant. You cannot reveal me, or the others, else all be lost._**

I bowed my head. "Yes, Mistress…"

She laughed. **_Do not call me Mistress. It implies inferiority. You are inferior to no one, nor are you superior to them._**

I nodded. "I understand."

_**Then all is well. Goodbye, Atemu—Yami. Goodbye for now.**_

I felt a presence retreating from the room, and smiled softly.

_Goodbye for now…Kimiru, daughter of Bastet…_


	12. Recovery

**Recovery**

_**Miriku POV**_

"We're almost there! One…two…three…_heave!_"

We had been struggling for the last five or ten minutes to get my bookshelf upright, and it was almost there, tilted at an eighty-degree angle away from the wall. At my shout, the four of us—Yuugi, Mikey, Terra, and I—pushed as hard as we could.

The bookshelf landed back upright against the wall with a loud thump, and settled into place with a creaking groan. I quickly shoved the 'Monster Book of Questions and Answers' back under the crooked shelf before it sagged again.

Terra dusted off her hands. "There. All we've got to do now is put all the books back, and we're done!"

Everyone else groaned. My bookshelf had been _full_ of books and magazines—so full that each shelf had been stacked up to the bottom of the next. I'd even had books on _top_ of my bookshelf.

Terra sweatdropped, grinning sheepishly. "Or…we could call everyone over to help so that it doesn't take as long."

"Good idea," Yuugi said wearily, flopping down onto the bed—the portion that wasn't covered in junk, anyway.

"I've got to check on Yami," I told them. "I'll be back in a minute."

"I'm coming with," Terra said. "I need to start calling people."

"I'm coming, too!" Yuugi and Mikey said at the same time. So the four of us went out through the hall back into the living room.

Yami, who had been lying down on the couch and absently running a finger up and down the scab on his cheek, looked up. I noticed that he had wrestled his shirt back on. "Konichiwa. …Is the bookshelf up?"

Terra nodded. "We managed to push it into place. Right now, I'm calling the others for help. We need it—putting the books back is going to be a major project." With that, she headed over to the kitchen and picked up the phone.

"Is it okay if I grab something to eat?" Mikey asked hesitantly.

"Sure," I replied.

Yami glanced at them. "Yuugi can show you where the fridge is."

Realizing that he wanted to talk to me alone, I nodded. "Go ahead, Yuugi—I'm sure you're hungry, too."

"No I'm—"

_Grrrr…_

"Ano…maybe I am. C'mon, Mikey."

I sat down on the arm of the couch near Yami's head, watching the two of them enter the kitchen. When they were gone, I turned to him.

"So. What've you got to say for yourself?"

Yami eased himself back, wincing. He unconsciously leaned against my leg. "I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Miriku. The book looked so interesting—I didn't know."

I crossed my arms. "You didn't _ask,_ either."

Yami sighed. "I really am sorry."

"For yourself or for the bookshelf?" I snapped irritably. "_That_ can be replaced! _You_ can't! We can't afford to lose you because of sheer stupidity on your part—and that's exactly what this was! Plain, unadulterated _stupidity!_"

Yami winced, and bowed his head. "I know I was stupid. Sometimes I think I'm nothing _but_ stupid. Stupid and ignorant…"

I realized that my voice had been much harsher than I'd intended. What I'd said had hurt him.

"I'm sorry, Yami—I didn't mean to snap at you." I sighed, and looked down at him. "It's just…you scared me. You worried me. And I get angry when I'm afraid."

Yami nodded. "I understand how you feel. I do the same thing, sometimes."

At that moment, Terra came back out, dusting off her hands. "There, that should do it. I've called everyone up. Dean's agreed to pick up Kaiba and Joey. They should be here in—"

She stopped. "All right, what's with the fluff scene in here?"

My eyebrows quirked. "What are you talking about?"

Terra just sniggered. "Nevermind. Like I was saying, everyone'll be here in a little bit."

I jumped off the arm of the couch. "Good. We definitely need their help." I turned back to Yami. "Take off your shirt."

Yami recoiled. "_What!_"

Terra sniggered again. I rolled my eyes. "I need to check the salve, you idiot! Now take off the shirt—unless you want _me_ to do it for you!"

Yami immediately began to peel off the skintight black tanktop he had slid back into. Terra went back to the kitchen, still laughing.

_This is not going to end well,_ Yami muttered. I nearly missed it.

"What was that?"

Yami blinked at me. "What?"

"No—what did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything!"

"But I just heard you say something!"

Yami sighed. "If I said something, I was talking out loud to myself."

I glanced speculatively at him, before pouring a liberal amount of salve on his arm.

He shivered. "This stuff is cold…"

"Yeah it is," I agreed, spreading it up and down his arm. "Lay down on your back."

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Mikey, could you get the door?" I called, spreading salve across Yami's chest."

"Sure!" Mikey called, and darted over to the door.

John, Dustil, Dean, Merekai, Malik, Kaiba, Ryou, Jonouchi, and Bakura all entered. Dustil grinned at me. Of course, since the back of the couch faces the door, they couldn't see what was happening. "Hey, lead—heard you needed some help reorganizing your bookshelf."

"_Reorganizing?_" I asked incredulously. "Did Terra not tell you guys what happened?"

John shook his head. "All she said was that the books fell, and that you guys needed help fixing them."

Yami sat up and peered over the back of the couch, grimacing as his wrist moved. "Who said anything about _books?_ It was the whole book_shelf._"

Everyone gaped at Yami. I saw their eyes dart from bruise to bruise, to the thin scab that ran from the corner of Yami's eye to just below his lip, and then back.

"Holy _shit!_" Bakura exclaimed. "I didn't know you were capable of taking that much damage without the brat stepping in for you!"

"Tojikomeru," Yami growled. "No one asked you."

I sighed. "Mikey, Terra, and Yuugi are in the kitchen. I have to finish up in here." I looked at Yami. "All right, I'm done with the salve. Give me your wrist."

With a long-suffering sigh, Yami held out his wrist. Dustil, who was just passing by, winced. "What happened to?"

Yami looked mournfully down at his wrist. The bones still bulged out in odd places. "It's fractured, according to Miriku-sama."

Dustil nodded, not catching the honorific, and went off to the rec room with everyone else. I _did_ catch it, though, and raised my eyebrows. "_Sama?_ Where did _sama_ come from, Yami?"

Yami ducked his head, blushing a little. "You're so good—at so much—it just seems right that—"

I cuffed him on the side of the head. "Friends don't give each other the _sama_ honorific, tonchiki!"

Yami grinned sheepishly. "I stand corrected—Miriku-_kun._"

I grinned at him, fishing the roll of linen bandages out of my bag. "That's better. Now, just let me finish up with your wrist, and then I'll go and help the others in the rec room. Like I said before, just take it easy—don't strain yourself. If you need anything, give a holler."

I tied off the linen and nodded. "That should do it. Don't move your wrist too much."

_I had already figured **that** part out,_ Yami said dryly.

"Well, I'm glad for you," I snapped.

Yami blinked. "What?"

"You just—I mean—" I threw my arms up in the air. "Nevermind! Just stop making rude comments already!"

"But Miriku—I didn't _say_ anything!"

I snorted. "Right. Just stop it, 'kay?"

I left him staring after me, a look of shock on his face, and headed to the rec room to help.

* * *

After about half an hour, the bookshelf was nearing completion. Everyone was sweating hard—except Kaiba, who refused to help. I had him fetch lemonade for us instead. My response to his loud protests was; "It's either helping with the bookshelf or making lemonade. Take your pick, or _I'll_ pick for you."

John sat back on his heels, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Jesus, Miriku! How many books are _on_ this thing!"

I shrugged, sliding Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince into its niche next to the previous five books on the second-to-top shelf. "I lost count at around two hundred." Everyone groaned.

"You guys need a hand?" Everyone jumped, and looked up at the door. Yami was standing there. Well, to be more accurate, he was leaning against the doorframe for support.

"Yami!" I admonished, jumping to my feet. "You're not supposed to be up! You don't even look strong enough to walk!" His forehead was, in fact, beaded with sweat, and his face was pale.

He smiled at me, though. "I'm _fine,_ Miriku. I can help you with the bookshelf, as long as I don't use my left hand, or move too quickly."

"I _still_ think you ought to be taking it easy."

Bakura rolled his eyes, grouchy that he had been forced to work. "If his highness-ness wants to work, let him work. It won't be our fault if something happens to him again."

"Now _dat_ ain't even nice," Joey muttered.

"I don't think it was supposed to be," Malik replied.

Yami shrugged. He made his way over to us—with a slight limp—and reached down to pick up a book. "I'll be fine. It's just picking up books—no big deal. See?" He reached up to put the book on the top shelf—and winced. "All right, maybe I shouldn't do that…"

"You could help Kaiba with the lemonade," Dustil suggested.

Yami shrugged, grinning. "I'm just happy to help." He hobbled away.

Yuugi looked at me. "I'm worried that he's going to overwork himself some day."

Bakura sniggered. "See, _that's_ why I'm not a goody two-shoes like his highness-ness. I don't have that constant urge to help people."

Terra glared at him, fists raised. "You're gonna have the urge to get a tissue because of your bloody nose!" Bakura winced, and edged away from her.

"You're dead," he said to John, who was trying to stop himself from rolling all over the floor, laughing.

"You wish!"

* * *

"That was _exhausting,_" Ryou mumbled, stretching his back.

Dean nodded, stifling a yawn. "It must have taken Miriku _years_ to get _that_ many books!"

I grinned at him. "Eight, to be exact."

Malik sighed. "Well, I'm all for going home and hitting the hay. You coming, short stuff?"

Dustil nodded, jumping to his feet. "Let's go!" He raced out the door.

Malik stared incredulously at me. "How can he have _that_ much energy!"

I shrugged. "This is _Dustil_ we're talking about—who knows?"

Slowly, everyone trickled out, until Yuugi, Yami, and I were the only ones left in the apartment.

"It's eight thirty," Yuugi said, after glancing at the clock. "I feel like turning in a little early."

I nodded. "Me, too. G'night."

Yuugi made his way to the couch, while Yami and I went to our separate rooms.

_I've got to make sure nothing like this happens again,_ I told myself firmly. _Yuugi would kill me if we lost Yami, and vice versa. We need to find a way to prevent stuff like this from happening…_

And with that thought running around in my head, I drifted off to sleep.


	13. Friends in Odd Places

**Friends in Odd Places**

_**Terra POV**_

"This is _so_ gonna rock," I murmured, staring up at the big sign hanging off the door. It read 'Coming Soon—Shining Starr Karaoke Bar'.

I had left Kaiba at the house to come and look at the building, using the excuse that I was shopping. After that, he was more than happy to stay home.

"Are you kidding me? Of _course_ it's going to rock!" I whipped around, startled.

A girl stood behind me. She had long, goldish-blond hair and dark brown eyes—think Ryou's eyes. She was wearing a tight-fitting white shirt with 'I'm A Princess' written across it in pink, and tight blue jeans.

I gawked—there was no mistaking her. This was the girl who introduced everyone who came up on stage—screw that, she _owned_ the whole place. And she was only sixteen.

"S-Sonja Marcy Edachi!" I gasped.

Sonja grinned, peace-singing. "That's me! You are?"

"Terra Cooper," I said weakly, shaking her hand.

"Oh, I know you! You and those friends of yours—Miriku and John and all of them—are on the top ten list of times most visited!"

"Really?"

Sonja grinned wider. "Really, really!" She looked around. "Well, I'd better get to work—this place won't open itself, you know!"

"My friends and I could help you," I offered hopefully.

Sonja nodded. "If you want. Work moves slow around here, even when my baka 'nii-san gets off his butt and helps. And speak of the devil, there he is!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "_Damien Marcus Edachi! Get your butt over here!_"

A boy jogged up, grumbling. "Sonja! I'm trying to open up the music shop!"

My jaw nearly hit the ground. "Holy _sh—_you look like Kaiba!"

And he did—except for the fact that his hair apparently refused to lie flat, and his eyes weren't as hard. He was exactly as tall as Sonja, and wore a white polo shirt and jeans.

Damien rolled his eyes. "I get that a _lot,_" he muttered. "Sonja uses me for cosplay _all the time._"

"But you look so much like him!" Sonja protested.

"Says _you,_" Damien muttered.

I looked between them. "So you two are brother and sister?"

"Twins, actually," Sonja corrected, "even though we don't look a lot alike."

Damien grinned. "I might look like Kaiba, but 'nee-san looks like a female version of Joey."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

I sighed—this reminded me of some of my friends. "Well, I can call everyone up and have them over in a minute or so, if you'd like."

Damien nodded. "It would be nice to have some more help—trying to open Shining Starr and Edachi Music Jamz at one time turned out harder than we thought it would be."

I nodded. "Well, we need a bit of fresh air, anyway—so I'll call everyone up."

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

_Rrrrrring…_

I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Miriku? It's Terra!" She sounded even more excited than before.

"Yeah?"

"You know the owners of Shining Starr and that instrument shop you always go to—Edachi Music Jamz?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I just met them! And they said that they could use a little help opening up—and that, if we wanted, we could help!"

I thought a moment. "You know I'd love to, but I have to take care of Yami, remember?"

"Just bring him over. Sonja'll find something for him to do, I'm sure."

"All right…"

"Ja ne!"

_Click._

I sighed. _Here we go again...

* * *

_

Soon enough, we were all there—me, Mikey, John, Dustil, Dean, Merekai, Malik, Kaiba, Ryou, Bakura, Jonouchi, Yuugi, and Yami. The characters, of course, had on their illusion spells.

The boy who looked shockingly like Kaiba looked at me, and did a double-take. "Well, if it isn't Miss I-Need-Reeds-For-My-Clarinet—Miriku!"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Clerk-Boy Damien."

The two of us collapsed into laughter, which shocked everyone even more.

The tall blond girl—who I assumed was Sonja—tapped Damien on the shoulder. "Do you two know each other?"

Damien nodded, grinning. "Miriku here is one of my top customers—she always needs either reeds, cork grease, or her clarinet fixed!"

Everyone looked at me. I shrugged.

Sonja grinned. "Well, that just saves us a few more introductions!"

She looked at Yami, and winced when she saw his wrist. "Are you sure you're going to be all right, kid?"

Yami growled. "I'm _seventeen,_ thank you."

Sonja blinked. "Daaang—you're _short_ for seventeen!"

Yami growled at her again.

Damien elbowed Sonja hard in the chest. "She didn't mean it," he said quickly. "Baka 'nee-san here doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut sometimes."

"Shut up, Kaiba no eizou."

"I am _not_ Kaiba's mirror-image!"

"Uh…yeah you are."

Yami rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine, as long as I don't put to much stress on it."

Sonja glanced at him. "If you're sure…"

"_I'm_ sure," I said firmly. "_I'm_ the one that fixed him up. He can help, as long as he doesn't do too much."

Yami flashed me a quick smile.

Kaiba sighed. "Well, I suppose we'd better get to work…"

Bakura sniggered. "That's the first intelligent thing you've said in days!"

Dustil looked around, eager as always. "Where do we start?"

Sonja grinned. "We'll start by splitting up."

She pointed to me, Yami, Yuugi, Dustil, Malik, Terra, and Kaiba. "You seven come with me. The rest of you go with Damien. Got it?"

"Got it!" everyone replied.

"Good. Now, let's go!"


	14. Sonja's Side

**Sonja's Side**

_**Bakura POV**_

It ended up that I went with Sonja's crew—apparently, they needed one more person. I was put to the task of carrying karaoke machines around to the private rooms.

I growled a little, thinking to myself. Miriku was helping Yami lift something, seeing as how he was currently forced to work with one hand. Kaiba and Terra were arguing—as usual. Ryou and Mikey were probably still working together back with Damien.

I still couldn't believe it. The CEO, the pharaoh—even my baka hikari had a girlfriend! And what did I have? _Nothing!_ It just wasn't _fair!_

"Whoa, dude! Watch it!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I had nearly run over a girl. She was a bit shorter than me, and even lankier than I was from the stupid illusion Miriku was making me wear—you could see her bones pushing up against her skin. Her waist-length, bleach-blond hair was wispy and frazzled. Dreamy blue-green eyes looked back at me from behind wire-framed glasses that were a little too big for her face. She wore an immensely faded tie-dye shirt and jeans that were nearly worn through at the knees.

I stared at her. "What're _you_ supposed to be, a hippie?"

Sonja bounced up, grinning. "This is Samantha Parker—also known as Sam. She's going to be the one running the machinery."

Malik eyed her speculatively. "Really? You don't look like the mechanic type."

Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "It's in the blood, dude. My dad's a car mechanic, and my mom builds computers."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah. They want me to have one of their jobs when I grow up—but I'm more of a nature type, you know? I like hiking and camping, man, not sitting around in a cubicle or a garage all day and messing around with machines."

Terra nodded slowly. "And yet, you're the electrician here. You're in charge of all the lights and stereo—for the whole place, not just the stage."

Sam's face broke out into a grin. "It's the _karaoke,_ man—the _music._ When this place gets rockin' and rollin', I gotta be right there in the middle of it!"

I looked at Miriku. "Heck, _she's_ kookier than _you!_"

Miriku growled at me, and I sniggered.

Sam looked back at me. "Hey, dude, mind if I give you a hand with that?"

"I guess," I muttered. With a grin, she reached under the karaoke machine—and, to my astonishment, lifted the whole thing up and rested it against her shoulder like it was nothing!

Yuugi stared at her, shock written across his face. "Hunh? How—?"

Sam peace-signed. "Eat your veggies, dude!" With that, she trundled off.

Miriku and Terra looked at each other. "_Weird,_" they said at the same time.

Sonja nodded, grinning apologetically. "She _is_ a bit strange, but she's a genius at electrical stuff. And she's only thirteen, too."

I shook my head. "Whoa. A freak, if I ever saw one."

Yami grinned smugly. "Nature-lover and treasure-stealer—a perfect couple, if I do say so myself."

I growled at him. "Shut it, baka."

"I don't feel like it."

I balled my hands into fists. "Well, I'll _make_ you feel like it, you little—!"

"_Bakura!_" Malik shouted, pinning my arms behind my back. "That's enough!"

I glared over my shoulder. "Let go of me, Gravekeeper."

"Not until you behave."

I made a face. "But behaving is so _boring!_" I whined.

Sonja stared at me. "Where the hell did _Bakura_ come from?"

Miriku rolled her eyes. "Umm—_YuGiOh,_ maybe?"

"Well, I know _that—_but why are you calling _him_ Bakura?"

"Because he _acts_ like him," Yami said quickly, "as you can see."

Terra nodded. "All our Japanese friends nicknamed each other based on the YuGiOh character they're most like."

Sonja nodded, but she still glanced suspiciously at me.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "What're _you_ lookin' at, baka?"

Sonja laughed. "We'd better get back to work. Koran, you go find Sam—she could probably use your help."

"Sure," I muttered, twisting free of Malik's grasp. "Whatever you say." I headed off to one of the private rooms, grumbling to myself.

"Hey, dude!"

I jumped, and whipped around. "Stop doing that!" I snarled.

Sam just grinned at me. "Sorry, dude—the parents say I move like a cat. It's the way I am—my own karma, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, whatever. I'm supposed to be helping you out with something?"

A thoughtful look crossed Sam's face. "I'm having problems installing the sound system—you could help me out with that, huh?"

"Whatever," I muttered, pushing around her. "Just show me where to start—I can figure it out from there."

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

"YEEEEOWCH!"

Everyone in the main room looked at each other.

"Gotta be Koran," we said at the same time—and ran for the small room that Bakura and Sam had disappeared into.

Bakura was doing a little jig of pain near the back of the room, blowing on his fingertips, which looked like they had been scorched. His hair was completely fritzed, and the ends stood strait out. Little puffs of smoke floated around the room, and two wires that protruded from a hole in the wall were shooting sparks. Sam was trying to talk to him.

"—stop moving, dude! I can't see what's up if you don't let me!"

Sonja crossed her arms. "All right, what happened here?"

Sam sighed, turning away from Bakura, who was still blowing on his fingers, a look of intense pain on his face. "I told him not to mess with the wires, man—but he fried the connection, and bar-bee-cued himself."

Malik rolled his eyes. "Great. That's _just_ what we needed—the baka tomb robber getting himself electrocuted."

Sam chose that moment to grab Bakura's wrist. He yelped with surprise—and then yelped again when she poured a clear liquid onto his blackened fingertips from a glass vial she appeared to have pulled out of a white bag resting in a corner.

"That _stings!_" he exclaimed, waving his hand around in the air. "What the _hell_ did you do!"

Sam grinned. "It's just a healing balm, man. Yeah, it stings—but it'll help you heal. You know, the positive healing karma of the aloe fighting the negative karma of the burn, and all of that."

Bakura rolled his eyes, cradling his hand against his chest. "Whatever. Just—_don't_ do that to me again, eco-freak!"

Terra winced. "Harsh much?"

Sam shrugged nonchalantly. "No big. I'm used to it."

Kaiba's eyebrows quirked, but he didn't say anything. I noticed him cast a sidelong glance at Terra—who was deathglaring him, as if daring him to say something.

Dustil bounced over to the wall with the sparking wires. "Do you know how to fix this stuff, Sam?"

Sam nodded. "I just have to bind the right currents. Electro-maniac dude over there tried to connect the wrong wires, and he got fried."

Sonja sighed. "Well, while you do that, we'd better go check on Damien and his group. We haven't heard from them in a while."

Sam shrugged. "Got it, man."

Sonja nodded, and beckoned to us. "C'mon—I don't like it when I haven't heard from my brother in a while. He has a tendency to do stupid things when he's alone."

"So does just about everyone else in this room," Kaiba remarked dryly. "Got a point?"

At that, just about everyone collapsed into laughter.


	15. Damien's Side

**Uh...okay, so maybe I _am_ feeling a little better...  
Try not to expect any more updates for a while. I haven't been in a very nice mood lately--you'll most likely see my angst stories coming up faster than this one or any of my other ones.  
Okay, I'll shut up and let you read now...

* * *

Damien's Side **

_**Mikey POV**_

When we entered the soon-to-be music shop, we saw that it definitely needed some work. Wallpaper was hanging off the walls in long strips; brown paper was crumbled up on the floor; the floor itself needed a good mopping and vacuuming. All the shelves were shoved against one wall, as were all the supplies.

"I haven't had much time to work on it," Damien explained, shutting the door behind him. "I've been too busy helping Sonja."

"Well, that's what you hired _me_ for, now isn't it?"

Damien jumped, and whipped around. "Stop _doing_ that to me!" he exclaimed.

The girl next to him peace signed, grinning. She had black hair with red streaks in it, and her eyes were an odd shade of yellow-gold. She wore a black shirt and jeans, with what looked like a rolled-up poster stuck through one belt loop.

I could hardly believe my eyes. I _knew_ her. But…I thought she'd died, along with the rest of my friends…

Ryou tapped my arm. "Is something wrong, Mikey?" he murmured.

I shook my head a little, motioned for him to stay quiet, and slipped away from him.

The girl looked around. "So, who're all these people?"

Damien shrugged. "People."

He yelped as the girl punched him in the arm. "All right, I'll introduce you!"

This whole time, I had been sneaking around behind the two of them. Slowly and carefully, I reached out and slid the poster out of her belt loop. She was too busy learning everyone's names to notice. I crept back over to my normal position, and opened the poster a little.

Sure enough, Malik stared grimly back at me, holding the Millennium Rod out in front of him with both hands.

"Hey! That's _my_ poster! How'd you get that? Give it back!" The poster was jerked out of my hands—and then I was face-to-face with a girl I hadn't seen for years.

She gasped. "_Mikey?_"

I grinned lopsidedly. "'Ello, Marik."

Marik Rama squealed, and preceded to glomp me, chattering away at top-speed.

"I—can't—breathe!" I gasped, trying to push her off of me. She backed up, grinning sheepishly.

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back into her head. A malevolent grin spread across her face, and she bowed mockingly. I knew exactly what was coming—but it still shocked everyone else when she began to talk like Bakura, with the right accent and tonality. "We missed you, Ammut-bait. I've had no one to kidnap for ages."

I rolled my eyes. "Too bad."

Marik's eyes returned to normal, and she grinned sheepishly. "He got out again, didn't he? Sorry—I've been trying to control him, but it just doesn't seem to work!"

Everyone was now staring at Marik like she was insane.

"She's got schizophrenia," I explained. There was a collective "Oh".

I looked back at Marik. "So, how _is_ everyone?"

Marik thought a moment. "Well, lessee. Akefia is bored and wants to steal something, Bakura is bored and wants to kill the pharaoh, and Ryou is bored and wants to draw something. Nope—nothing new around here!"

I laughed. "Figures."

Damien tapped his foot impatiently. "Girls, we can get reacquainted later. Right now, we have a music shop to work on!"

"He's right," Dean said firmly. "We ought to get busy."

Marik shrugged. "That's fine with me—as long as I get to work with Mikey!"

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

When we showed up, everything was practically finished. The place definitely reminded me of the way it had been back down in Homestead. There were a few things that needed putting on shelves, but other than that, the shop was ready to run.

"Damien!" Sonja called loudly. "You in here?"

Damien poked his head out of the door behind the counter that said 'Employees Only'. "Back here, guys—come on! You won't believe this!"

Sonja raised her eyebrows at us, and we headed for the door. Inside, everyone sat on huge, comfy plush couches. Mikey and some new girl chattered to each other, eyes bright with excitement. They stopped when we entered the room.

John looked at Bakura. "You look like you got electrocuted or something."

Bakura growled a little, and held up his scorched fingers. "I _did_ get electrocuted."

The whole room collapsed into laughter. Kaiba raised his eyebrows—I could tell he was making a great effort to stop himself from chuckling.

The new girl looked around. "Are these more friends of yours, Mikey?"

Mikey nodded, and looked at us. "Guys, this is Marik Rama—you know, the one who wants to be pharaoh?"

Malik groaned. "Great, that's _just_ what we needed. _Another_ psycho."

Marik grinned. "Thanks, I try."

Malik blinked. "Wha?"

Bakura elbowed him hard in the ribs. "It's a joke, nimrod!"

Malik massaged his ribs, glaring at Bakura. "I swear…one of these days…"

"You couldn't fight your way out of a sheet!" Bakura taunted—and immediately had to duck as Malik threw a punch at his nose.

"Boys, calm down!" Terra reprimanded.

Merekai nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah—bad luck and hate attract anti-waffles!"

Dean sweatdropped. "Are you sure you don't mean anti-_fairies?_ Like the ones from Fairly Oddparents?"

Merekai shook her head. "I said anti-waffles, and I meant anti-_waffles!_"

Everyone sweatdropped at that remark—even Kaiba.

Marik suddenly began bouncing in her seat. "Hey, Mikey, I've got something to show you!" She dug into a big blue duffel bag and pulled out what looked like a crown. It had a fanning wing on either side. The Eye of the Wisdom of Darkness was set in the center. I saw Yami twitch a little.

"It's a real gold replica of the one Yami wore as pharaoh!" Marik said excitedly. "I bought it for, like, fifteen bucks!"

Mikey high-fived her. "You go, girl!"

Jonouchi looked around. "Anyone got anythin' ta eat?"

"_Jonouchi!_" Terra exclaimed, exasperated.

Jonouchi shrugged. "Hey, I'm starvin' ova here!"

Marik furrowed her brow. "Isn't Jonouchi the name of Joey Wheeler in the Japanese version of YuGiOh?"

The characters stared blankly at her, while we American folk nodded.

Marik grinned. "Cool! I'm not the only person named after an anime character!"

"Well, bully for you," Malik grumbled. I grinned, realizing he was still sore over the taunts we'd thrown at him when we had gone to the mall on Sunday.

Sonja clapped her hands together. "All right, guys and gals—to business. Damien, is this place ready to run?"

Damien shrugged. "Sure. There are a few things that need shelving, but we can do that before opening."

Sonja grinned. "All we need to do is wait for Sammy to finish up with the electrical stuff, and Shining Starr Karaoke Bar will be ready to run!"

She turned to us. "Oh, that reminds me—for helping us you, all of you get to come free of charge!"

Dustil let out a whoop. "Sweet! Free music!"

Sonja's grin widened. "Now, how 'bout y'all help me get ready for our grand opening?"

"_Yeah!_" everyone shouted—except Kaiba. The CEO rolled his eyes, muttering something about crazy Americans under his breath. He stopped when he noticed Terra deathglaring him.

"All right then!" Sonja exclaimed. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Okay, let's have a little poll...which characters do you like the most--that aren't YuGiOh? List your five favorites, and why you like 'em.**

**...If you want to, that is.**

**Review, please?**


	16. Karaoke Time!

**Uh...okay, this is a _really_ long chapter with very little plot importance, but I want karaoke, dammit!**

_This type means that either the one person, the background of a duet, or the male part of a duetis singing.  
_**This type means the foreground of a duet or the female part of a duet is singing.  
_This type means that both parts of a duet are singing together._**

**

* * *

**

**Karaoke Time!**

Sonja looked around as we all entered the karaoke bar again. "Well, it's four o'clock now—the grand opening is at seven. That leaves us enough time to practice for our songs!"

Malik blanched. "_What?_"

Damien grinned. "C'mon, it wouldn't be a karaoke bar without some headliners! We've got our old friends—" He indicated us 'real' folk with a sweep of his arm. "—and we've got _you_ guys. There are more than enough private rooms to practice in, and you've got more than enough time to do it!"

Jonouchi crossed his arms. "I'm sittin' dis one out," he said flatly.

"What's wrong? Can't carry a tune in a bucket, can you?"

Jonouchi growled at Kaiba. "Shut it, you."

"Oh, I seem to have hurt the mutt's feelings. Poor mutt, no one cares about it."

"I said _shut it,_ Rich-boy!" Jonouchi snarled.

Kaiba smirked. "So the mutt has a growl. That's a difference." The smirk widened. "Too bad he still doesn't have any bite."

"Bastard!"

"Mutt."

Bakura sniggered. "How cute! They've even got pet names for each other!"

Kaiba glared at him, crossing his arms. "For your information, stupid, that was an _insult._"

Bakura nodded wisely. "Riiiight."

Marik giggled.

Sam looked in from another of the private rooms. "The sound system's up," she reported in that strange drawl of hers, "and so're the lights. Now all we need is some people, man, and this place'll _really_ rock an' roll!"

Sonja nodded. "That's just what I was thinking. There are stocks of albums in every room—everyone who wants to sing, take your pick, and practice. You've got until seven!"

* * *

At seven o'clock sharp that night, Sonja took center stage, microphone in hand. The rest of us stayed backstage—even those of us who weren't going to sing. "ARE Y'ALL READY TO ROCK?" 

"_Yeah!_" the crowd that had gathered for the grand opening screamed.

"ARE Y'ALL READY TO ROLL?"

"_Yeah!_" they all screamed again.

Sonja grinned, raising her free arm. "THEN LET'S _PAR-TAY!_"

Disco lights flashed on, dappling the whole place in bright, multicolor lights. I grinned as a huge cheer rose, rocking the whole karaoke bar to its foundation. _Sam should be proud of herself._

Sonja raised her arm again, and the whole place quieted down. "Are y'all ready for tonight's show?"

"_Let's rock!_" the traditional reply was shouted.

Sonja grinned. "Good—'cause we've got a few old friends, and some new ones, too!"

She fled from the stage, passing off the microphone to Mikey and Ryou. They ran on stage, and as Sonja pushed in the disc, they began a song I recognized immediately—_Believe In,_ by a group called Skwib. It was on the YuGiOh Movie soundtrack—I never got tired of listening to it. The male part came first, with Ryou singing.

"_You always find me  
__Making time, for you—  
__So many dreams do come true;  
__No room for failure  
__That we've had before!_

_Take a look at what we've got,  
__Each other, for one another;  
__Friends to the end—  
__Here we go…"_

Mikey grabbed the spare microphone that Damien was holding out for her, so she could sing when her part came around. Ryou grinned, starting the bridge like he was supposed to.

"_We stand together,  
__Through these hard times—"_

And the Mikey jumped in:

"**Don't let these days  
****Pass you on by!**

_**I believe in,  
**__**You better believe that—  
**__**I believe in  
**__**You,  
**__**Oh,  
**__**Yeah!**_

**So now you look at me,  
****While I'm lookin' at you—  
****I think to myself,  
****I'm watching out for you!  
****Let's take a chance together  
****Never have before!**

**When I think about thinkin' of you,  
****It feels like there's nothing else to do—  
****We took a chance together;  
****Here we go…**

_We stand together,  
__Through these hard times—  
_**Don't let these days  
****Pass you on by!**

_**I believe in,  
**__**You better believe that—  
**__**I believe in  
**__**You,  
**__**Oh,**_

_I know that…  
_**(Ah-ah…)  
**_You want it all…_

**(Ah-ah…  
****Ah-ah…)**

_We stand together,  
__Through these hard times—  
_**Don't let these days  
****Pass you on by!**

_**I believe in,  
**__**You better believe that  
**__**I believe in  
**__**You,  
**__**Oh,**_

_**I believe in,  
**__**You better believe that  
**__**I believe in  
**__**You,  
**__**Oh,  
**__**Yeah!**_

_**Oh yeah!**_

_**Oh…**"_

Everyone screamed and clapped as Mikey and Ryou backed off the stage, panting. They had been dancing to the energetic backbeat as they sang—it _looked_ tiring.

Next up was, surprisingly, Sam. She took the microphone, and began a song I had only head once—_Hope Has Wings,_ by Brie Larson.

"_When I stuck on the ground,  
__There's a walk only down,  
__Every step sends falling,  
__Now to how to begin,  
__How do eyes like the winds?  
__So soon I be soaring,  
__I just feel and let myself believe,_

_Cos hope has wings,  
__To carry you,  
__Anything is possible,  
__Just might be,  
__A miracle,  
__Waiting to come true,_

_So I hid my eyes,  
__And see the sky,  
__Will my heart begin to fly?  
__I will be carried by my dreams,  
__Cos hope has wings…"_

There was another round of applause as Sam dashed off the stage.

"You sing great!" I remarked in a whisper as she passed the microphone off to John. She just shrugged, grinning.

John began his song—one of the country ones I like. _Live Like You Were Dyin',_ by Tim McGraw.

"_He said I was in my early forties,  
With a lot of life before me,  
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.  
I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays,  
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.  
Asked him when it sank in, and this might really be the real end.  
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.  
Man what ya do…  
And he says, _

I went sky divin',  
I went rocky mountain climbin',  
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Manchu,  
And I loved deeper,  
And I spoke sweeter,  
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,  
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,  
To live like you were dyin'…

He said I was finally the husband,  
That most the time I wasn't.  
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.  
And all the sudden goin' fishing,  
Wasn't such an imposition.  
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.  
Well I finally read the good book,  
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do  
If I could do it all again…  
And then;

_I went sky divin',  
I went rocky mountain climbin',  
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Manchu,  
And I loved deeper,  
And I spoke sweeter,  
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,  
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,  
To live like you were dyin'… _

Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity  
To think about what you do with it,  
What could you do with it, what can  
I do with it, what would I do with it…

I went sky divin',  
I went rocky mountain climbin',  
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Manchu,  
And I loved deeper,  
And I spoke sweeter,  
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,  
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,  
To live like you were dyin'…

_I went sky divin',  
I went rocky mountain climbin',  
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fu Manchu,  
And I loved deeper,  
And I spoke sweeter,  
And I watched an eagle as it was flyin',  
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,  
To live like you were dyin'… _

To live like you were dyin'…  
To live like you were dyin'…  
To live like you were dyin'…  
To live like you were dyin'…"

Bakura was next, singing _Dragula_ by Rob Zombie.

"_Dead I am the one, exterminating son  
Slipping through the trees, strangling the breeze  
Dead I am the sky, watching angels cry  
While they slowly turn, conquering the worm _

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dead I am the pool, spreading from the fool  
Weak and want you need, nowhere as you bleed  
Dead I am the rat, feast upon the cat  
Tender is the fur, dying as you purr

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Do it baby, Do it baby  
Do it baby, Do it baby  
Burn like an animal

Dead I am the knife, dig into the skin  
Knuckle crack the bone, 21 to win  
Dead I am the dog, hound of hell you cry  
Devil on your back, I can never die

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Do it baby, Do it baby  
Do it baby, Do it baby  
Burn like an animal

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!

Dig through the ditches  
And burn through the witches  
I slam in the back of my  
Dragula!"

"What a perfect fit," Yami muttered audibly. Bakura growled as he passed the mike to Terra. She bounced onto the stage, as her music began—_Behind These Hazel Eyes_ by Kelly Clarkson.

"_Seems like just yesterday  
You were a part of me  
I used to stand so tall  
I used to be so strong  
Your arms around me tight  
Everything, it felt so right  
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong  
Now I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on _

Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes

I told you everything  
Opened up and let you in  
You made me feel alright  
For once in my life  
Now all that's left of me  
Is what I pretend to be  
So together, but so broken up inside  
'Cause I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hangin' on

Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes

Swallow me then spit me out  
For hating you, I blame myself  
Seeing you it kills me now  
No, I don't cry on the outside  
Anymore...

Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes

Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes…"

I grinned. It was Merekai's turn—she'd probably find something really upbeat to sing. And I was right—_Fly,_ by Hillary Duff.

"_In a moment  
Everything can change  
Feel the wind on your shoulders  
For a minute  
All the world can wait  
Let go of your yesterday _

_Can ya hear it calling?  
Can ya feel it in your soul?  
Can ya trust this longing?  
And take control_

_Fly  
Open up the part of you  
that wants to hide away?  
You can shine  
Forget about the reasons  
why you can't in life  
and start to try  
Cause its your time  
Time to fly_

_All your worries  
leave them somewhere else  
Find the dream you can follow  
reach for something  
When there's nothing left  
And the world is feeling hollow_

_Can ya hear it calling?  
Can ya feel it in yourself?  
Can ya trust this longing?  
And take control  
Fly  
Open up the part of you  
that wants to hide away_

_You can shine  
Forget about the reasons  
why you can't in life  
and start to try  
Cause its your time  
Time to fly_

_And when you're down  
and feel alone  
Just wanna run away  
Trust yourself and  
don't give up  
You know you better  
than anyone else_

_In a moment  
everything can change  
Feel the wind on your shoulders  
For a minute  
all the world can wait  
Let go of yesterday_

_Fly  
Open of the part of you  
That wants to hide away  
You can shine  
Forget about the reasons  
Why you can't in life (can't in life)  
and start to try (start to try)  
Fly  
Forget about the reasons  
why you can't in life (can't in light)  
and start to try (start to try)  
Its your time  
time to fly_

_In a moment  
everything can change…"_

Next up was me—singing one of my personal favorites, _Basket Case_ by Green Day.

"_Do you have the time  
__To listen to me whine  
__About nothing and everything  
__All at once?  
__I am one of those  
__Melodramatic fools  
__Neurotic to the bone  
__No doubt about it_

_Sometimes I give myself the creeps  
__Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me  
__It all keeps adding up  
__I think I'm cracking up  
__Am I just paranoid,  
__Or'm I just stoned?_

_I went to a shrink  
__To analyze my dreams  
__She says it's lack of sex  
__That's bringing me down  
__I went to a whore  
__He said my life's a bore  
__So quit my whining cause  
__It's bringing her down_

_Sometimes I give myself the creeps  
__Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me  
__It all keeps adding up  
__I think I'm cracking up  
__Am I just paranoid?  
__Uh, yuh, yuh, yuh!_

_Grasping to control  
__So I better hold on_

_Sometimes I give myself the creeps  
__Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me  
__It all keeps adding up  
__I think I'm cracking up  
__Am I just paranoid,  
__Or'm I just stoned?"_

"A psychopathic song for a psychopathic girl, eh?" Dustil whispered as I passed him the mike. I elbowed his as he rushed out. His music was another Green Day song—_Holiday._

"_Hear the sound of the falling rain  
Comin' down like an Armageddon flame (hey!)  
The shame, the ones who died without a name  
Hear the dogs howlin' out of key  
To a hymn called "Faith and Misery"  
And bleed, the company lost the war today _

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies  
This is the dawning of the rest or our lives  
On holiday

Hear the drum poundin' out of time  
Another protestor has crossed the line  
To find, the money's on the other side  
Can I get another amen? (Amen!)  
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men  
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies  
This is the dawning of the rest or our lives  
On holiday

'The representative from California has the floor'

Zeig Heil to the president gasman  
Bombs away is your punishment  
Pulverize the Eiffel Towers  
Who criticize your government  
"Bang bang" goes the broken glass man  
Kill all the fags that don't agree  
Trials by fire, setting fire  
Is not the way that's meant for me!

Just cause...Just cause because we're outlaws, yeah!

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies  
This is the dawning of the rest or our lives…

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies  
This is the dawning of the rest or our lives…

_This is our lives on holiday…"_

Dean high-fived him, grinning, as he and Malik went on-stage to sing _In The End_ by Linkin Park. Dean took the rapping part in the foreground, while Malik took the background.

"_(It starts with one) _

**One thing, I don't know why  
It doesn't even matter how hard you try  
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme  
To explain in due time  
**_(All I know) _

**Time is a valuable thing  
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings  
Watch it count down to the end of the day  
The clock ticks life away  
**_(It's so unreal) _

**Didn't look out below  
Watch the time go right out the window  
Trying to hold on, but didn't even know  
I wasted it all just to  
**_(Watch you go) _

**I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart  
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when**

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter…  
_

**One thing, I don't know why  
It doesn't even matter how hard you try  
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme  
To remind myself how  
**_(I tried so hard) _

**In spite of the way you were mocking me  
Acting like I was part of your property  
Remembering all the times you fought with me  
I'm surprised it  
**_(Got so far)_

**Things aren't the way they were before  
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore  
Not that you knew me back then  
But it all comes back to me  
**_(In the end) _

**You kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart  
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when  
**_  
I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter… _

I've put my trust in you,  
Pushed as far as I can go  
For all this  
There's only one thing you should know…  
I've put my trust in you,  
Pushed as far as I can go  
For all this  
There's only one thing you should know…

_I tried so hard  
And got so far  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter  
I had to fall  
To lose it all  
But in the end  
It doesn't even matter…"_

To everyone's surprise, Kaiba took the stage next. I grinned to myself when I heard the song he was singing—another Linkin Park song, _Numb._

"_I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface  
I don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
And every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow) _

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there  
Become so tired, so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me  
Holding too tightly afraid to lose control  
Cause everything that you thought I would be  
Has fallen apart right in front of you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you  
(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)  
And every second I waste is more than I can take

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there  
Become so tired so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you

And I know  
I may end up failing too  
But I know  
You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there  
Become so tired, so much more aware  
I'm becoming this all I want to do  
Is be more like me and be less like you

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there…  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be…  
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there…  
I'm tired of being what you want me to be…"

I couldn't help but be impressed—he'd just sung the whole thing on his own, without anyone to rap in the background. With an almost imperceptible smile, he passed the mike to Marik. She began the song _Listen To Your Heart_ by DHT.

"_I know there's something in the wake of your smile.  
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea.  
You've built a love but that love falls apart.  
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark. _

Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye…

Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile  
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea  
They're swept away and nothing is what is seems,  
the feeling of belonging to your dreams

Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye…

And there are voices  
that want to be heard,  
So much to mention  
but you can't find the words  
The scent of magic,  
the beauty that's been  
when love was wilder than the wind…

Listen to your heart  
when he's calling for you  
Listen to your heart  
there's nothing else you can do  
I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye…

Listen to your heart, mm-mmmmmm

I don't know where you're going  
and I don't know why,  
but listen to your heart  
before you tell him goodbye…"

Sonja looked around as Marik bounced backstage. "Anyone else?" she asked in a whisper.

Yuugi shook his head. "That's everyone," he whispered back.

Mikey looked at her watch. "We don't have a lot of time left, anyway. I'd like to grab something to eat, and then just relax and watch some of the other people sing."

I nodded. "I don't know about you guys, but _I'm_ done singing for now."

Ryou nodded, and grinned a little. "I'm glad Mikey and I went first—if we hadn't, we'd probably be yawning right now!"

Damien looked around. "Well, let me be the first to tell you that everyone who sang did a great job."

Sonja nodded enthusiastically. Then she grinned evilly. "Who's up for a few drinks? Not alcohol, of course," she said quickly, "but still—anyone?"

Everyone raised their hands.

Sonja grinned. "Good—it's on me tonight. Let's go!"

* * *

**I _told_ you I was desperate for some music...**

**Review, please!**


	17. The Sickness

**Chapter seventeen! YAAAY!**

**Uh...I'll be quiet and let you read now...

* * *

The Sickness**

_**Yami POV**_

I looked at Yuugi. "Ano…isn't it way past the time Miriku usually gets up?"

Yuugi looked away from the stove, where he was boiling a pot of water to make spaghetti. "Dunno. What time is it?"

"Almost noon," I replied, glancing at the clock.

Worry crossed Yuugi's face. "You should go check on her."

I made a face at him. "Why do _I_ have to do it?"

"Because _I'm_ making lunch," he said pointedly.

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be put out. "Fine—but you owe me one!"

Yuugi grinned. "Right. Just go wake up Miriku-aneki, will you?"

I grinned, heading off into the hall. It was funny, how Yuugi had started to call Miriku 'ane' and 'aneki'—both terms for 'big sister'. First, they weren't even related—second, Miriku was younger than him by a month.

I tapped on the door with my good hand. "Miriku-kun? You awake in there?"

No answer. I was beginning to get worried—even a shout to go away was better than nothing, and nothing was exactly what I was getting.

"Miriku?" I pushed open the door.

Miriku blinked blearily at me from her bed. Her glasses were resting on the table next to her, but she still hadn't put them on. Even in the dim light that filtered through the drawn curtains on her window, she looked pale.

"Sorry I'm not up," she croaked. "I feel like shit." She began to cough.

"You _sound_ like shit," I said firmly, walking up to the edge of the bed. "What did you _do_ last night?"

Miriku made a weak attempt at a shrug. "Sang…drank a lot of soda…I don't really remember."

I raised my eyebrows. "You look like you've got a hangover. I think I'll have to check with Sonja—just to make _sure_ those drinks weren't alcoholic."

Miriku laughed a little—and started to cough again. "Would you mind getting me the bottle of DayQuil? Yuugi should know where it is."

I nodded. "Right. Will do." I exited the room and trotted back to the kitchen.

"Aibou, Miriku-kun needs some DayQuil."

Yuugi looked strangely at me. "Why?"

"I think she might have a cold."

"Oh." He reached up into a cupboard above the stove and pulled out a bottle with a white, orange, and yellow label. "Make sure you follow the directions—too little of this stuff'll keep her feeling bad, but too much will get her drunk like alcohol will."

"Better keep this stuff away from the tomb robber, then," I muttered.

Yuugi laughed. "Bad thoughts there. Now—shoo! Go play 'guardian and protector' for your girlfriend in there."

"_Yuugi!_"

"Hey, it's true!"

I sweatdropped. "Just don't let her hear you say that, all right?"

Yuugi grinned. "I already promised, didn't I? You've got nothing to worry about."

I rolled my eyes, heading back for Miriku's room. Sometimes I wished Yuugi hadn't found out…

I opened the door again. "Someone order some DayQuil?"

Miriku grinned at me. She had managed to sit up, and her glasses were on. "Thanks, Yami…I really don't feel up to getting up right now."

I smiled sheepishly. "Well, all I know at the moment is that you're going to have to pour this stuff yourself—I can't do a damn thing with my wrist in this cast thing."

"It's more like a splint," she corrected, taking the bottle of orange-yellow syrup from me. I noticed her hands were shaking a little.

"Seriously, Miriku—what did you _do_ last night that's got you so sick this morning?"

Miriku glared at me. "I _told_ you already! What are you, my father?" She collapsed into another fit of coughing.

"Sorry!" I said quickly, grabbing her arm. "Really, I'm sorry—I'm just a little worried."

Miriku grinned lopsidedly. "Don't be—I'm a big girl."

"_I'm a big girl, Atem—I can take care of her. Go on without me."_

I blinked—and for a second, it wasn't Miriku in front of me, but another girl. She had waist-length, gold-brown hair tied back with a leather strip, and silver-blue eyes that were slitted like a cat's. White ears rose delicately from her hair, and a long white tail twitched from beneath her coarse linen breeches. Her claw/nails were extended.

"_But, Kimiru—"_

"_Go! You have to stop Bakura!"_

"Yami? Are you all right?"

I gave my head a shake. "Hunh? Oh—I'm fine…"

Miriku cocked her head. "Are you _sure?_"

I grinned, taking the bottle of medicine from her. "It should really be _me_ asking _you_ that, shouldn't it? I mean, _you're_ the one who feels like shit."

Miriku grinned a little, and slid back under the covers of the bed. "This stuff is about to knock me out, so…g'night. Again."

I grinned a little. "G'night, Miriku-sama."

"Miriku-_kun,_" she corrected drowsily.

"Right—Miriku-_kun._"

Miriku smiled a little. "Good boy." Her eyes closed, and she began to snore lightly.

I shook my head. _Good boy?_ She must have really been unfocused!

I pulled off her glasses, set them on the bed stand, and took the bottle of DayQuil back into the kitchen.

Yuugi looked at me, stirring the spaghetti sauce. "And the verdict is?"

"She's fast asleep," I replied, sitting down at the table. "The medicine knocked her flat."

Yuugi grinned. "Good."

Suddenly, the phone rang. Being the closest to it, I hobbled over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ahkama?"

I started—then remembered that I had chosen Ahkama to be my use-name. "Yeah…"

"It's me, Sonja. Is Miriku around?"

"Yes, she's here—but she's asleep. She's got a cold or something."

I heard Sonja gasp. "Poor girl! Is she all right?"

I grinned. "I just _told_ you—she's asleep. How would I know that?"

"…You've got me there." Sonja's tone was rueful. "Anyway, I'd called because I found something of hers that she left here at Shining Starr. It's a silver amulet, with runes or something carved on it."

I raised my eyebrows. As far as I knew, Miriku didn't have any jewelry that looked like that. "Are you sure it's hers?"

"Dead sure—it says Miriku Hernandez right on the back."

I sighed. "Well, I can't pick it up, because of my wrist—I'll call Terra and have her pick it up, all right?"

"Got it!" There was a click as she hung up.

I shook my head, and looked at the phone directory Miriku had put up for us. I then dialed Terra's number.

"Hello?"

"Terra, it's me, Yami."

"Oh—hey Yami. What's up?"

"Nothing much—Sonja just called, and told me that Miriku left some kind of amulet over at Shining Starr. Yuugi or I can't get it—we don't know the way, Miriku is sick right now, and we'd need the illusion spells."

Terra sighed. "All right. Should I call up everyone else to get to her apartment?"

I sighed with relief. "That would be a good idea—I don't know much about treating colds, and neither does Yuugi."

"Wait—should Sonja, Damien, Marik, and/or Sam come?"

I thought for a moment. "Might as well," I said reluctantly. "They've got a right to know what's going on."

"All right."

_Click._

I looked at Yuugi, who had just finished the spaghetti. "Hope you made enough of that stuff for everyone—'cause _everyone's_ coming over."

Yuugi stared at me. "Even the ones who _don't_ know who we are?"

"Even them."

Yuugi groaned. "Miriku's gonna _kill_ us."

I shrugged. "It's better than having her get even sicker than she is."

"…That's true."

**OooO**

**_Terra POV_**

"Slow down, Sonja! Wait up!"

Of course, Sonja ignored Damien, running as fast as she could to catch up to me. "So you're telling me that that's _really_ Kaiba!"

I rolled my eyes. "_Yes,_ that's really Kaiba, if his attitude maladjustment hadn't clued you in already."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Oh, thanks a lot," he said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," I replied nonchalantly, knocking on one of the doors.

The door opened a little, and Sam peered out. I heard shouting in the background. "What's the password, dude?"

I rolled my eyes, exasperated. "There _is_ no password, Sam! Just let us in!"

Sam grinned a little. "No password, no entry!"

"_Sam!_" I heard Mikey exclaim exasperatedly. The hippie-girl was elbowed out of the way, and Mikey opened the door, looking harried. "I hope you guys don't mind utter insanity—that's exactly what's going on in here."

Damien gestured at Kaiba. "If it's anything like _him,_ I think we've already seen enough."

Kaiba glared at me. "Quiet, wannabe."

Damien glared right back at him. "Who said I _wanted_ to look like you?"

"…"

"Exactly."

Mikey shook her head, sighing. "Come on, Sonja—Yami wants to see you."

Damien groaned as Sonja went starry-eyed. "_Yami?_ He's _here?_"

"Whoa, girl!" Damien exclaimed, grabbing her by the arm. "Calm down! It's _just_ the pharaoh—no big!"

"Oh, come _on—_you know _you'd_ be acting the same if Anzu was in there!"

Damien blushed. "_Sonja!_"

Kaiba smirked. "Good luck with that—Friendship-girl has eyes for only one person, and that's the pharaoh."

Damien growled at him. "Shut up."

"I don't feel like it."

Mikey sighed. "Just come on, guys—I need help restraining Marik from glomping poor Malik."

I grinned. "I have _got_ to see this." Mikey backed up, and the four of us entered.

Everyone was in the living room. Malik shot past, swearing colorfully in Arabic. Marik chased right behind him, exclaiming, "I just want _one_ autograph!" Bakura and John were laughing their heads off.

At that moment, Yami walked into the room. "Quiet, guys! Miriku is resting!"

Damien had to bodily restrain Sonja from running over to glomp Yami. "He's got a fractured wrist, baka 'nee-san!" he hissed.

Yami grinned at Damien, and carefully walked up to Sonja. "Could you let me see that amulet?"

Sonja tore herself from Damien's grasp, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a silver, oval amulet on a silver chain. Engraved on one side was the name 'Miriku Hernandez'—and on the back were runes that looked oddly like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Yami read over the runes—and his eyes narrowed. Without any comment whatsoever, he stalked over to Bakura, who was smirking at something John had just muttered to him, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him into the wall.

* * *

**Uh-oh! Bakura's in _trou-ble!_**

**Review, please!**


	18. Sibling Rivalry

**Ack! (runs away from people with pitchforks) Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter!**

**Oh, and 'cuz I forgot to say it when I posted seventeen the other day--HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

* * *

Sibling Rivalry **

_**Yami POV**_

Pain lanced through my bad wrist, but I barely noticed—I was too busy throttling the tomb robber to even care. What a horrible joke—what a vile sense of humor he had!

"Yami, what're you _doing?_" Yuugi exclaimed.

"I'm giving him his due pain," I replied calmly, continuing to squeeze Bakura's throat. He clawed at my hands, but I held firm.

"But _why?_"

"It's the amulet," I said grimly. "The hieroglyphs explain the whole spell—and every spell contains traces of its caster." I glared at Bakura. "In this case, the old symbol for a tomb robber."

"I swear—it wasn't me—I don't know—"

"Yeah, right!" I snarled.

Yuugi grabbed my arm. "Let him go, Yami! Just let him go—and tell us what the curse is!"

I grimaced at Bakura, before pulling away, letting him slump to the ground. I held up the amulet, which I had previously wrapped around my left hand. "He must've done it last night—created it, slipped it into Miriku's pocket to establish the magic-bond, then filched it and left it on the counter."

Sam held out her arms, backing away. There was a pained expression on her face. "I'm getting some _major_ bad karma from that thing, man!"

Malik glanced at me. _Magic-sensor,_ he mouthed.

I raised my eyebrows. As the name implied, magic-sensors could distinguish magic cast with benevolent intent from that cast with malevolent, and they could also trace the caster of a spell. Malik himself was a magic-sensor—if a very rudimentary one.

I nodded at Sam. "You should be—it's cursed. Whoever's name is on this amulet…if they're not constantly wearing it, they become fatally sick."

Ryou gulped. "_Fatally?_"

Malik looked closely at the amulet. "That's what it says," he confirmed grimly. "And it's no hoax, either—there's a strong residue of Shadow Magic on this thing."

Jonouchi's eyes widened. "But—dat means she could be dyin' right now!"

I froze. That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. "Shit!" I muttered, running flat-out for Miriku's room. The others followed—Bakura helped along by Sam. Unheeding of the fact that it might disturb her sleep, I slammed open the door and ran in.

Miriku had gotten even paler in the time I'd been gone. And I realized for the first time that her breathing was becoming shallow and labored—more so with each passing second.

"Damn tomb robber and his damn pranks!" I breathed, slipping the amulet around her neck.

I sighed with relief as Miriku's breathing began to return to normal. "Anyone feel like killing the tomb robber for me?"

"I do!" said a chorus of four or five voices from behind me.

I rolled my eyes. "That was a rhetorical question."

Bakura smirked. "Aww, so you _do_ care!"

I glared at him. "Keep dreaming," I said flatly.

Miriku groaned a little, and I turned back to the bed. "Miriku!"

Miriku opened her eyes—and immediately closed them. "Ugh…woozy much…someone help me up, please…"

I helped her sit up. "Are you all right, Miriku? How do you feel?"

She pressed a hand against her forehead. "_Feel?_" she groaned. "I _feel_ like I just got poleaxed with a telephone pole, is how I _feel._"

I grinned with relief. "She's fine."

Miriku blinked at me. "Why wouldn't I be?" She glanced down at her chest. "And what the heck is this thing?"

I sighed. "It's a cursed amulet that Bakura was kind enough to make for you."

"Ra damn it, pharaoh, I didn't—"

"_THEN WHY IN THE SEVEN HELLS DOES IT HAVE THE MARK OF A TOMB ROBBER ON IT!_"

Bakura shrank away. "I don't know, all right! _I DON'T KNOW!_ Whoever the _hell_ did it, it _wasn't_ me!"

Miriku glared at him. "Somehow, I doubt that."

A thoughtful look crossed Sam's face. "Somehow," she said slowly, "I don't…"

Sonja looked at her, startled. "Why not?"

Sam shrugged. "I dunno. There's just this _feeling_—like how I could feel that amulet had bad karma, you know? I can feel who the stuff traces back to—and it's _not_ Bakura."

Malik was right—she must be a magic-senser. I growled a little. "Well, who _does_ it trace back to?"

A look of intense concentration crossed Sam's face—the color drained from her face. "But—man, that's impossible!" She banged her palm on the side of her head. "This thing must be broken!"

Mikey put a hand on her shoulder. "Who does it trace back to, Sam?" she asked gently.

Sam looked at her, trembling. "…_Me_…"

All of us stared at her. "But _you_ can't use Shadow Magic!" Yuugi exclaimed.

Malik looked hard at Sam. "Or…_can_ you?"

Sam slowly shook her head. "I don't know, man…I don't know…"

"Oh, that's _real_ helpful, thanks," Kaiba said sarcastically.

Terra elbowed him. "Shut up!" she hissed. "You're _not_ making this any better!"

Miriku looked around. "We can deal with pointing fingers later. Right now, though, could someone _please_ get me some aspirin or something?"

I sighed. "Sure—I'll do it. Everyone else—_out._"

John frowned as everyone else exited the room. "But—"

"_Out!_"

He made a face at me, and left.

Miriku grinned a little at me. "Thanks—they were starting to get on my nerves."

I grinned a little. "I thought as much. I'll be back in a minute."

As I left the room, my mind was racing. How could _Sam—_bright, happy, hippie Sam—cast a curse with Shadow Magic? It was impossible—and yet, it had happened!

Something fishy was going on here. And I was determined to find out what.

I grabbed the aspirin and a bottle of water, and returned to Miriku's room. She was staring off into space, absently fingering the amulet.

"I still can't believe it," she said quietly as I approached. "How could it have been Sam?"

I shrugged, passing her the aspirin and water. "Maybe someone was controlling her mind."

She shook her head, proceeding to gulp down to tablets of aspirin and a swallow of water. "Doubt it. You or Yuugi would _never_ do something like that, the Ring doesn't do mind-control, and Malik's on our side."

"You've got a point," I admitted. "There's only one alternative I can think of—but the probability is low enough to be nonexistent."

"What, a former life in ancient Egypt?"

"You got it."

Miriku grinned a little. "Now _that_ would be pretty awkward. How would a sprit from one world recognize a spirit from another world, I wonder?"

I shrugged. "Maybe the ones in the first world used to be in the second, or vice versa."

"Hmm…hey, that's not a bad theory!" Miriku's grin widened. "See, _this_ is why I like hanging out with you. You give so much food for thought, and in so few words!"

I felt myself blushing. "I…uh…thanks?"

Miriku laughed. "That _was_ a compliment, you know!" She yawned. "Ugh…I feel like going to sleep again."

"Don't fall into another coma," I said sternly.

"…I was in a _coma?_"

"No." I ducked out of the room, laughing, as Miriku threw a pillow at me.

Heading back out into the living room, I immediately noticed that everyone was gathered around the couch. "What's going on over here?" I asked sharply.

Mikey shrugged. Worry was etched across her face. "It's Sam—she's been like this for almost a minute straight!" I elbowed my way between Terra and Kaiba to get a good look—and what I saw completely shocked me.

Sam was sitting on the couch, holding her head, muttering wildly to herself. Her hair kept changing from its normal wispy blond to a fuller, dirty-blond streaked with icy blue. Her eyes flickered from blue-green to slitted eyes that were a sharp blue with hints of steely silver.

I noticed Bakura looking hard at me, and looked back. _What?_ I mouthed, still a little ticked at him.

He shook his head a little—and the word he mouth sent me into shock.

_Derama._

I stared at him, then at Sam. This was not going to end well, for Derama was the tomb robber's friend and personal guardian, and she absolutely hated my guts.

Suddenly, the appearances stopped changing. The girl with dirty-blond hair and blue eyes sat there on the couch for a minute, black cat ears drooping down, black tail switching slowly back and forth off the edge of the couch.

Derama smiled a feral smile at me. "Hello, pharaoh—long time no see." And she sprang, hidden daggers held in each hand.

There was the sound of a door slamming in the hall, and Miriku ran into the room.

But—it wasn't Miriku.

Her hair was long, reaching her waist—but held back in a scrunchie. Her slitted eyes were a bright silvery-blue. And, the most distinguishing feature of all—the pure, snowy white ears and tail.

"_DERAMA!_" she shouted, yanking the other spirit out of the air by the ankles. "_LEAVE HIM ALONE!_"

Derama bounced nimbly to her feet. "Why, hello, Kimiru. I thought you were dead."

Kimiru's fists clenched. "Allow me to remind you, _dear_ sister," she spat, "that I am _not_ that easy to be done away with."

"And you're _still_ talking in formalities, palace-brat!"

"Robber's-brat! You've long forgotten your sense of honor!"

Derama bowed mockingly. "Why, thank you—I've learned to honor no one but myself and Bakura here."

Bakura grinned a little at her. "Good girl."

Terra stared between Derama and Kimiru. "Whoa—rewind a second. You two are _sisters?_"

"Twins, actually—and ones who _aren't_ on very good terms," I confirmed grimly.

Derama growled a little. "I can't believe that amulet didn't work."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Well, if you were intending to get _me_ strangled, then yes, it _did_ work!"

Derama looked at him, startled. "It did? It was supposed to kill off Kimiru…"

"But instead nearly killed someone who had no notion of what was going on—an innocent!" Kimiru exclaimed.

Derama shrugged. "Eh. If it means getting rid of _you,_ I don't care!"

Mikey stared at Derama. "You'd kill your own _sister?_"

Derama shrugged again. "Look, girl—I don't like her. Bakura doesn't like her. Therefore, she goes. You just stay out of the way, before you get hurt."

Sonja stepped in front of Kimiru. "No one's killing _anyone._ Learn to live with each other for now, or find somewhere else to be." One by one, the others stepped in front of Kimiru, too.

I noticed Kimiru relax with relief—and that startled me. Why would she be _relieved_ that she didn't have to fight Derama?

Derama cast them all another feral grin. "I see what you're doing, Kimiru. Well, unlike you—_I have no remorse for killing people who get in my way!_" And she ran for the tight protective circle around Kimiru and me.

That is, she tried.

She suddenly slowed, and clutched at her head. Her face contorted in pain, as she struggled against herself. "Go away, you friggin hippie!" she screamed at the air.

There was a flicker of black light—and Sam was standing there, blinking.

"I'm so sorry, man," she whispered. "I didn't know that…witch…was in there!"

Marik put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right," she murmured.

Kimiru sighed remorsefully. "I should go, for now—I'm sure you would like to talk to Miriku, and I know for a fact she is wondering what is going on." There was another flicker, this time of white light—

And Miriku sat down hard on the floor, shaking her head.

"All right, what the _hell_ is happening around here?"

John sighed, helping her back to her feet. "Well, you see…"

* * *

**Uh...yeah.**

**Special note to Bakura-N-Me: Can you please restrain her (you know who I'm talking about) from killing me (you probablyknow why)? Please? Thanks!**

**Review, please! Heart shaped cookies with pink icing and red/white sprinkles for everyone! YAAAY!**


	19. A New Twist

**Uh...okay, I'm glad Bakura-N-Me hasn't reviewed yet, or she-knows-who would have killed me by now. Hopefully, she'll have had time to cool down...

* * *

**

**A New Twist**

_**Miriku POV**_

What John was telling me was far-fetched enough that I doubt even _I_ would have believed it—if it hadn't been for the fact that I had been seeing and hearing almost exactly what Kimiru was seeing and hearing. _Almost_ being the key word there, because I had been in too much shock to really process anything.

I walked over to Sam, who was sitting on the couch and staring at her feet. "I'm bad," she was murmuring. Her eyes were wide. "I need an exorcism, man; I need to get this thing away—I'm gonna be a major negative influence…"

I tapped her on the shoulder. "What up, hippie?"

Sam jumped a little, and looked at me. "M-Miriku…"

I grinned, vaulting over the back of the couch and landing with a bounce next to her. "Why the long face, 'dude'?"

Sam gave her head a little shake. "H-How am I supposed to do my job?" she asked quietly. The question was directed to no one in particular. "How'm I going to protect nature and humanity, if I'm possessed by some crazy spirit that'll kill anyone and everyone? It's impossible, man!"

"Who said it's _your_ job?" I asked exasperatedly.

Sam blinked. "Hunh?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come _on,_ Sammy. Wake up and smell the coffee. There are _government agencies_ working to 'protect nature and humanity'—_they_ do _that_ so normal people like _us_ can concentrate on the stuff _we_ need to do."

"Since when are _we_ normal?" Mikey asked dryly, sitting down on the other side of Sam. "I heard what you guys were saying, and—well, Sam, she has a point. There's nothing more important right now than learning how to interact with—and maybe even control—Derama."

Marik, who had also stopped to listen in on our conversation, made a face. "I'm just jealous that _you_ guys get spirits! No pharaoh is complete without her own spirit helper!"

Yami sweatdropped. "…Riiiight…"

Sonja looked around. "Hey, where did Damien go?"

I jumped to my feet. "I'll go get him—he's in the rec room." I trotted over to the hall, down towards the door—and paused outside the guest room, listening.

"_I am so high, I can hear heaven…  
I am so high, I can hear heaven…  
Oh but heaven, no heaven,  
__Don't hear me… _

And they say that a hero can save us,  
I'm not gonna stand here and wait—  
I'll hold on to the wings of the eagles,  
Watch as we all fly away…

Someone told me that love would all save us,  
But how can that be?  
Look what love gave us—  
A world full of killing, and blood-spilling, that world never came…

And they say that a hero can save us,  
I'm not gonna stand here and wait—  
I'll hold on to the wings of the eagles,  
Watch as we all fly away…

Now that the world isn't ending,  
_It's love that I'm sending to you…  
It isn't the love of a hero,  
__And that's why I fear it won't do… _

And they say that a hero can save us,  
I'm not gonna stand here and wait—  
I'll hold on to the wings of the eagles,  
Watch as we all fly away…

_  
And they're watching us (Watching us)  
They're watching us (watching us) as we all fly away…  
And they're watching us (Watching us)  
They're watching us (watching us) as we all fly away…  
And they're watching us (Watching us)  
They're watching us (watching us) as we all fly away…_"

I grinned a little, pushing open the door. "You have a nice voice, you know that?"

Damien sat up, startled, and blushed. He'd been lying spread-eagle on the bed, eyes half-closed, singing. "I…uh…thanks?"

I grinned. "That's the second time someone's said that to me within half an hour." I walked over to the bed. "What song was it?"

"One called 'Hero', by a guy named Chad Kroeger."

"And why are you singing it?"

"Uh…because I wanted to…?"

I smirked. "Right. Now, feel like telling me why you're _really_ singing it?"

Damien sighed. "It's just…if I were ever to meet…A-Anzu…I would sing that for her." He said this last part very fast, blushing hard.

"What, are you embarrassed about having an anime crush?"

Damien nodded a little. "I mean, I'm _sixteen._ I'm not _supposed_ to have crushes on fictional characters."

"If Yami and them are real, what are the chances that the others are, too?"

"…Good point." He sighed. "This is one of those times when I wish _she_ had come, too…"

I grinned. "If she were here right now, she'd be chasing after Yami."

"…Yet another good point."

I shook my head. "All right, then—now that we've agreed I make some good points, you need to get out of here. Sonja's starting to worry about you."

Damien sighed, rising to his feet. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving."

"And _I'm_ following. So move your butt."

Damien made a face at me as he opened the door. "You can't talk to me like that! I'm two years older than you!"

"Your point?" We both laughed, and then headed the rest of the way into the living room.

Sonja bounced up and grabbed Damien's wrist. "Where've you been?"

"In the guest room," he replied nonchalantly. Sonja pestered him with questions for a few minutes, but he refused to answer any more.

_/It looks like **someone** knows when to keep their mouth shut…_

I jumped a little, and looked around. No one had said anything. Hardly believing it possible, I reached out with my mind. **_/K-Kimiru?_**

_/That **is** my name,_ she replied dryly.

**_/Yeah, yeah, okay. First off, who the heck _are_ you?_**

_/Kimiru._

I sweatdropped mentally. **_/Helpful, thanks._**

_/You're welcome._

I rolled my eyes, walking over to the couch and thumping down on it next to Sam. "What up, hippie?"

Sam grinned a little at me. "You've already said that."

"And?"

Sam giggled. She then sighed, absently re-adjusting her glasses. "I'm still kinda upset about this—the whole psychotic spirit thing, you know? I mean…I still think part of my duty to nature is to _not_ hurt stuff, and to be as supportive as possible. But _now_ I've got this freak-o lady who doesn't care who she kills, so long as it gets her to her sister—her own flesh an' blood! That's not _right,_ man!"

"I'm not a man," I commented bemusedly.

Sam blinked—and then laughed. "You're funny!"

"I try."

Sam grinned at me. "Thanks—I need a few laughs." She looked around, and then lowered her voice. "Just between you an' me—I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing."

I frowned. "Now that you mention it, Sammy…so do I. Something smells _really_ fishy around here."

Marik, who was bouncing by in pursuit of Malik, stopped and looked at me. "Fish? Where? Where's the fish? I don't like fish!" She threw her arms in the air and ran around in circles, screaming at the top of her lungs; "BAD FISHIES! GO AWAY!" Everyone in the room collapsed into fits of laughter loud enough to drown her out.

Suddenly, I noticed something that made me stop laughing immediately, even though everyone else was still caught up.

It was Kaiba.

He was doubled over with silent laughter—I saw tears running down his face, he was laughing so hard.

I elbowed Sam. "Get a load of this!" I muttered, jerking my head at Kaiba.

Sam peered up—and stopped laughing as fast as I had. "What in the world…"

"Exactly. Since when does _Kaiba_ laugh at anything we say?"

"Uh…since never, I think…"

I nodded. By this time, everyone had recovered—and no one aside from the two of us appeared to have noticed that Kaiba had been on a major OOC streak.

Marik accidentally looked over at Malik—and squealed. "_Glompishness!_"

Swearing, Malik turned and ran. "Can't someone _please_ get this witch away from me!" he yelled, dodging away from Marik.

Bakura sniggered. "Why? It's so fun to watch her chase you!"

Jonouchi shot a glare at Bakura, and then grabbed Marik's shoulder in mid-dash. "C'mon, calm down. Dere are other people in here, ya know. Chase da guy on yer own time—or don't chase 'im at all. Your pick."

Marik grumbled at him, and flopped down on the nearest thing to sit on—which happened to be the coffee table. "You guys are no fun!"

Malik rolled his eyes. "Neither are you!"

Kaiba smirked. "I sense a future romance here. The chaser—shall soon become the chased."

Terra elbowed him. "Shut up, baka."

Kaiba glared at her, massaging his ribs. "Why must you always be so _violent?_"

"Because you never listen to me when I'm _not._"

"She's got a point," Dean admitted.

Kaiba glared at him. "Just whose side are you _on?_"

Dustil grinned mischievously. "Definitely _not_ yours!"

"…Thanks."

"You're welcome!"

Suddenly, I sensed something in the back of my mind. It was Kimiru—and her hackles were raised. **_/Kimiru? What's wrong?_**

_/Triplet._

_**/Hunh?**_

_/Triplet. My triplet. She's here…somewhere._

Sam blinked at me. "Derama's actin' crazy," she whispered. "She's sayin' she senses someone else—all she says is 'triplet'."

I nodded. "Same here with Kimiru. Apparently, there's another sister in here somewhere."

The two of us looked around at the other girls in the room. Marik was staring at Malik, who was staying as out-of-the-way as possible. Mikey and Ryou were sitting on the other couch, chatting quietly—apparently not realizing they were holding hands. Sonja was getting some water from the kitchen. Terra and Kaiba were, once again, bickering over nothing in particular.

"I can't tell _who_ it might be," I admitted finally.

Sam shook her head. "Neither can I."

Damien looked at the clock. "Whoa—we'd better get going, Sonja. We've left the shops closed for long enough."

Sonja sighed ruefully. "True. See you all another time, then?"

I grinned, waving. "See you!"

Slowly, everyone else filtered away, until the only ones left were me, Yami, Yuugi, and Sam.

Sam smiled a little, straightening her glasses. "I'd better go—I've got a psycho to talk to."

I nodded. "I've got a spirit to become acquainted with, too. See you around, hippie."

Sam bounced to her feet and headed out the door, a confident smile on her face.

I grinned at Yami. "Well, this went a lot better than it _could_ have."

Yami stared at me, a horrified expression on his face. "You could have _died!_"

"But the fact remains that I _didn't_ die. Like I said—this could have gone a _lot_ worse."

Yami just shook his head. "I'll never understand you, Miriku."

Yuugi grinned. "She's a _girl._ You're not _supposed_ to understand her."

I held my hand out to Yuugi. "Exactly!"

Yami stared for a few more moments—and burst out laughing.

Yuugi walked over to the kitchen, and made a pained face. "The spaghetti's cold. No one ate any."

I grinned. "Well, warm some up! I am _starving!_"

"You sound like Jonouchi," Yami commented as I went to get a bowl.

"So? I _am_ hungry! _I_ never got breakfast, remember?"

"True—the medicine had you knocked out cold."

Yuugi spooned the noodles and sauce into bowls, and popped them in the microwave. "You guys need to get spoons and forks—all I'm doing is re-warming this stuff."

I grinned. "Spoons and forks—on it! Let's eat!"

* * *

**Well, _you'd_ be starving too if you'd just gone through being really sick _and_ having a cat-woman-spirit-person take over your body!**

**Ahem...review, please! Chocolate chip/macadamia nut cookies for all!**

**Oh, and for those who don't know (which is probably no one, but just in case), OOC means Out Of Character.**


	20. Memory Lane, Pt 1: Back to the Past

**Yeah, baby! Big 2-0! WH00T WH00T!**

**...Okay, that was kinda random.**

**But seriously, folks--I can't beleive that I'm at chapter 20 already! To everyone who's ever reviewed; thanks! If it weren't for you guys, I never would have gotten this far! THANK YOU!

* * *

**

**Memory Lane, Part I  
Back to the Past**

**_/Your name is Kimiru. Right?_**

_/Right._

_**/You know Yami. Right?**_

_/Right._

_**/How?**_

_/We were both in ancient Egypt._

I rolled my eyes, flopping down onto the couch. I was getting absolutely _nowhere_ with my questioning.

Yuugi, who had stepped into the living room on his way to the kitchen, gave me a lopsided grin. "Difficulties?"

I grimaced. "She's talking in circles—it's so frustrating! I can't get _anywhere_ with her!"

"Maybe you should try going somewhere a little quieter and actually _going_ to her?"

I gulped a little. "You mean—going to her Soul Room?"

"Yep."

"But—I don't know _how!_"

Yuugi grinned a little. "Try getting somewhere quiet, anyway. Maybe it'll just…" He held up his arms, shrugging. "…I dunno, come to you."

I rolled my eyes. "That only happens in fairy tales and anime."

Yuugi's grin widened. "Hello real world, meet YuGiOh main character. Come on—just try it and see what happens."

I sighed, rising to my feet. "Whatevs." I headed for the hall, went to my room, and flopped on my bed.

"I sure hope this works," I muttered, closing my eyes. I tried to completely relax—to open up my mind, like in the show—but it just didn't work. Apparently, I had no reachable Soul Corridor.

_/Hmph. You're just trying too hard._

I growled a little. **_/Be quiet, woman. You aren't helping._**

_/Oh, aren't I?_

**_/No, you aren't! You may _think_ you are, but it's _not_ working, so just _shut up!**

Silence answered me. I felt a little guilty—after all, I couldn't blame her for being a little snappish. She had, after all, just had a run-in with a sister she absolutely hated.

_**/And therein lies the problem.**_

I nearly raised my eyebrows. Kimiru's voice was tinged with regret. _/Problem? The only problem I see here is that you two hate each other's guts._

**_/But I _don't_ hate her._**

I sat up, eyes snapping open. _/**What!** You mean that whole show of being her arch-rival was just that—a show!_

**_/No. What I mean is that I wish I didn't _have_ to put on the guise of hating her. It only happened after the attack._**

I shook my head. _/This is too confusing._

_**/Then let me show you.

* * *

**_

_Three little girls, only about four or five, scampered through the palace. All three had about the same color hair. The first's was gold with light brown highlights, tied back with a strip of leather; the second's was dirty blond, and hanging free; the third's was also free, and was sandy yellow with a few black streaks. They ran on all fours, like kittens—and, indeed, they had ears and tails. The first's were white; the second's black; and the third's silver-gray._

I could see everything as if I was an invisible spectator on the sidelines; Kimiru was standing next to me, watching with narrowed eyes. "Our past," was all she said. "Watch."

_The first skidded to a stop and looked around, silvery blue eyes gleaming with caution. "Wait, guys," she whispered. "We have to be careful—we don't know if we're supposed to be in here."_

_The second elbowed her. "C'mon, Kimiru! Don't be such a spoil-sport! We're **hungry,** and they're **bound** to have food in here!"_

_The third looked around, a little nervously. "I dunno, Derama…are you **sure?** What if we get caught?"_

_Derama rolled her eyes. "Come **on,** Kemisi! You sound like Kimi! All we're doing is getting some food, and then we're outta here!"_

_Kemisi glanced uncertainly at her. "If you're **sure…**"_

_Kimiru crossed her arms. "It's still wrong!" she whispered fiercely._

_Derama made a face at her. "It's just a little food. They're rich people—they won't notice it's gone."_

_Kimiru sighed. "All right…but **only** cuz I'm hungry."_

_The three of them scampered on, sticking to the shadows, avoiding the palace guards._

Kimiru followed them, and I followed her. It was surprisingly easy to keep up—I wasn't even tired, and let's just say I'm not the most athletic of girls.

_Derama, who was running ahead of her sisters, stopped and skipped back a little. "Hide!" she hissed. "Someone's coming!" The three of them ducked into the shadows and stood still as statues._

_The sound of sobbing reached their ears, and a small boy of about their age ran around the corner. His clothes were very fine—soft fabric sewn with gold. His hair was oddly spiked, and in three different colors He had his face in his hands while he ran—so it was no small wonder that he tripped over one of the cobbles near where the girls were hiding and fell flat on his face. He lay there, shivering, crying._

"_Momma!" he sobbed. "Why? **Why!**"_

_Sympathy was etched across Kimiru's face. "Let's help him!" she whispered._

_Derama grabbed her arm. "No, Kimi! He'll tell on us!"_

"_But—but—"_

"_Dera's right," Kemisi whispered. "We can't get caught!"_

_Suddenly, the boy looked up. "Who's there?" he asked sharply, crimson eyes darting from shadow to shadow. "I can hear you!"_

_Derama rolled her eyes. "Too late."_

"_Show yourselves, or I'll call the guards!" he called imperiously. "I'm the Prince of Egypt!"_

_The three sisters stared at each other. They'd had no idea that the palace they'd snuck into had been **the** palace!_

_Kimiru stepped out of the shadows. "I'm sorry we snuck in," she said quickly. "It wasn't very nice, but we were **hungry!**"_

_The boy stared at her. "You look like a cat!"_

_Kimiru grinned a little. "So do my sisters." At that, Kemisi and Derama scampered out from the shadows to stand next to her._

_The boy smiled a little. "Hi. My name's Atem. What're yours?"_

"_I'm Kimiru—this is Kemisi and Derama." Each sister nodded at her name._

_Atem looked around. "What're you doing here, anyway?"_

"_We came to steal some food," Kemisi admitted glumly. "We haven't had anything **good** to eat for ages."_

_Atem pulled himself to his feet. "I can lead you to the kitchens—but we have to go the long way, so I don't have to go past…m-my mom's…room."_

_At the three girls' curious expressions, Atem hung his head. "My momma just died," he said softly. "I ran away from the room."_

_On impulse, Kimiru hugged him. "It's okay. We never knew our momma—you're luckier than us."_

_Derama rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough with the mushy stuff—I want something to eat!"_

_Atem laughed. "This way!_

The scene blackened—and then changed. Now the three girls were about twelve, and sitting in one of the courtyards, talking.

_Derama sighed, switching her tail back and forth. "You know, I haven't seen Atem in almost a week!"_

"_He's much too busy being forced to study," Kimiru sighed, idly tapping her fingers on the sandstone. "Too bad for him—it's a quite lovely day out here."_

_Kemisi nodded in agreement, lazily stretching out on her back. "I can't believe the stuff that they're making him learn—all because he's a prince! It's just unfair!"_

_Kimiru made a face. "Unfair, yes, but it **is** necessary. After all, without proper education, what kind of pharaoh would he be? Not a very good one, that's for sure!"_

_Derama nodded. "And where would he be without us to help him memorize stuff?"_

"_Not far!" Kemisi laughed. She sighed. "But still—it's just so **boring.** He's such a great runner—I'd like to race him again!"_

_Kimiru grinned. "What, are you still sore over the defeat he handed you the other day?"_

_Kemisi made a face at her. "Yes."_

_Derama rolled her eyes. She leaned back, and looked longingly at the sky. "You know…ever get the feeling that there's something more to life than living in the palace?"_

_Kimiru stared at her, horrified. "Derama! We had enough of 'outside life' when we were younger! Do you not remember living on the streets? How **difficult** it was?"_

"_But we're going stale, waiting around in here for something to happen!" Derama protested. "I mean—listen to you, Kimi! You're starting to talk in formalities more often than not!"_

"_So?"_

"_**So,** it's about time we get back out there and **do** something!"_

_Kemisi looked over at Derama. "There's only one problem with that," she said quietly._

"_And what would that be?"_

"_Atem needs us."_

_Derama stared at her. "Okay, you've lost me."_

_Kemisi shook her head. "Think about it, Dera. Who does Atem come to when he needs help with a private problem?"_

"_Us…"_

"_Who does he talk to when he feels like no one else would understand?"_

"_Us…"_

"_Who does he sometimes even let that emotion shield down and cry for around?"_

"_Us…"_

"_Exactly."_

_Derama looked at Kimiru. "What do you think, Kimi?"_

_Kimiru looked over towards the archway that led to the throne room. "Atem needs all the help he can get," she said quietly._

_Derama rolled her eyes. "Fine, it looks like I'm outnumbered. I guess we're staying."_

_Suddenly, she smirked. "I know why you want to stay, Kemi! It's priest Seto, isn't it?"_

_Kemisi blushed. "No!" she said sharply. "Are you kidding! I **hate** him!"_

_Derama smirked. "Riiiight."_

Once again, the scene faded to black.

"You three seem really close," I said to Kimiru. "What happened?"

Kimiru bowed her head. "Derama began to get into trouble. Things around the palace simply disappeared—and turned up in her room, or in one of her usual haunts. She skipped classes and training—sometimes she convinced Kemisi to do the same. And then…the day of Bakura's attack came, and…" She closed her eyes. "You will see."

* * *

**I would have finished the whole thing, but it was getting just a bit too long...anyway, review, please! Sugar cookies all around!**


	21. Memory Lane, Pt 2: Love and Hate

**Yeah! Part two! BWAHAHAHAHA!

* * *

Memory Lane, Part II  
Love and Hate **

I watched as another scene faded into existence. Kimiru, looking the age she was now, sprinted through the palace. She darted around the guards that were milling around the halls; they looked utterly confused.

"_Derama!" Kimiru called desperately. "Kemisi! Where **are** you?" The two of them had disappeared moments after the tomb robber Bakura had appeared—she had slipped away to find them._

"_Kimiru! Kimiru!"_

_Kimiru slowed, eyes darting back and forth, looking for the source of the voice. It was High Priestess Isis._

"_Kimiru, the pharaoh wishes to see you in his quarters. He says it's urgent."_

_Kimiru nodded. "Thank you, Isis." She dashed off in the direction of Atem's room, wondering what was so urgent that he should interrupt her from searching for her sisters._

"_Pharaoh?" she called, tapping on the door._

"_Come in, Kimiru—and you must just call me Atem."_

_Kimiru entered the room. "Fine then—Atem. What do you wish of me?"_

_Atem turned to look at her. "It's about Derama and Kemisi. We've found them."_

_Kimiru's face lit up—and then faded as she took in the sad expression on Atem's face. "Wh-What happened to them?"_

_Atem's eyes were grave. "They've been captured by Bakura. The two of them were seen tied to one of Bakura's horses as he escaped. There was nothing any of us could do. We tried to get them back."_

_Kimiru sank to her knees. "No…" She buried her face in her hands. "Derama…Kemisi…"_

_She looked up suddenly. "I'm sorry, Atem—I shouldn't mourn in front of you. You have your own business to attend to…and the pharaoh's protector does not cry…"_

_Atem sat on his bed and spread his arms. "If you need someone to cry with…I'm here. You've done the same for me many times—a pharaoh isn't supposed to cry, either."_

_Kimiru's eyes filled with tears. With a small sob, she flung herself onto his lap, crying into his shoulder. "M-My sisters—g-gone—I'll n-never see them again—"_

The scene blacked out again. I realized that my fists and my teeth were clenched.

"What happened to them after that?" I asked.

Kimiru closed her eyes again. "Watch."

_Atem and Kimiru stood outside the ruins of Kul Elna, looking warily around. "This is the place," Kimiru said quietly._

_Atem gravely put a hand on Kimiru's shoulder. "I hope that, for your sake, we don't come across them."_

_Kimiru was silent. Then she strode resolutely forward, Atem matching her step for step._

_Before long, they reached the entrance to the tombs. "This is where he's hiding," Kimiru murmured. "We must be very cautious."_

_Atem smiled a little. "I know."_

_The two of them entered the ruins and continued to walk. Every now and then, Kimiru would go a little ahead to check for trouble, but she always retreated again to stand to the side and a little ahead of Atem._

_As they approached a large intersection of hallways, Atem grabbed Kimiru's arm. "Wait…Kimiru…"_

_Kimiru turned. "Yes?"_

_Atem's face was grave. "If one of us doesn't get out of this…you've been one of my best friends since we met, and I'm glad we met in the first place. If it weren't for you or your sisters, I wouldn't be who I am now."_

"_Of course you would. You are the pharaoh—I am simply your guardian, originally from the streets. We were no true daughters of Bastet."  
__  
"I know—you've told me. A spell gone awry fused you with Bastet's true children—three kittens. And you escaped."_

"_And then we found our way to you. Your father took us in and trained us to become your protectors—now that my sisters are gone, I must carry out this task myself. Regardless of what may happen."_

_Atem sighed. "Kimiru…you're more than just my protector. You're my friend. Nothing can change that."_

"_Oh, how touching! Too bad it was so short-lived!"_

"_Bakura!" Atem hissed._

_Kimiru's eyes widened. She wasn't focused on Bakura—the person she was focused on was standing next to him, smirking._

"_Derama…what…"_

_Derama bowed mockingly. "Hello, palace-brat. Long time no see."_

_Bakura smirked. "I'll let you take care of them, Dera. I have an appointment with the dark lord Zorc!" And with that he turned and ran off down another hallway._

_Kimiru clenched her fists. "Derama, how could you!"_

_Derama simply continued to smirk at her. "Because, sister, I have power. In exchange for being his protector, I am second only to Bakura himself!"_

_Kimiru shook her head. "But our duty is to protect the pharaoh—"_

"_The pharaoh is nothing more than a weakling! Haven't you seen that by now? He relied entirely on us for support! He used us to help himself!"_

_Kimiru shook her head. "I won't believe it!"_

"_You don't believe me? Kemisi said so herself!"_

_Atem shook his head. "Kimiru, don't listen to her. Friends are **supposed** to rely on each other—and aside from you three, I **had** no friends."_

_Kimiru narrowed her eyes at Derama. "Kemisi…where is she?"_

"_Dead," Derama replied nonchalantly._

"_**What?**"_

_Derama smirked. "That crush of hers with High Priest Seto threatened to disrupt the entire plan, so I had to knife her. No big."_

"_Derama! Kemisi is our sister!"_

"_So?"_

_Atem's face betrayed his horror. "You killed your own **sister** because she got in the way of one of Bakura's twisted plans?"_

"_Yeah, why?"_

_Kimiru clenched her fists. "Derama, you have dishonored us for the last time!"_

"_Was that a challenge?"_

"_But of course."_

_Atem put a hand on Kimiru's shoulder. "Kimiru…"_

"_Go on, pharaoh. I have to make her pay for her betrayal and treachery."_

"_But if you get hurt—"_

"_I'm a big girl, Atem—I can take care of her. Go on without me."_

"_But, Kimiru—"_

"_Go! You have to stop Bakura!"_

"_Yes, you have to stop him!" Derama mocked. "Go on, little pharaoh! Try and stop the master of thieves!"_

_Atem looked gravely at Kimiru. "Be safe."_

"_You too."_

The scene blanked—and I was once again lying on my own bed, in my own room. I left my eyes closed for a moment, listening to Kimiru.

_/We struck a killing blow at the same time. Derama pledged she would hate me for eternity. She believes I did the same._

I shook my head a little. **_/I can't believe she'd kill her own sister…and with no remorse, either! That's not right!_**

_/'Right' is relative, Miriku. It is possible to do an evil deed with good intentions, or vice versa. She was seduced by the power Bakura offered to her._

_**/It's still just not right!**_

_/Hmph. But now do you see?_

Slowly, I turned things over in my mind. **_/…Yes. I see that your sister hates you, but you don't hate her…that she wants to kill you, and you have to keep up the impression of wanting to do the same thing._**

_/And it's hard, because, despite all she has done, she is still my sister, and I still love her._

"Miriku! Are you there?"

I started, and my eyes snapped open. I scrambled back a little, blushing—Yami's face was inches from my own. "Uh—hi—Yami—"

Yami sat up straight and sighed with relief. "You've been in here for almost four hours!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Four hours. You're kidding, right?"

"No. Look at the time."

I looked at the clock on my wall—and bit back a startled, "Holy shit!" Indeed, four hours had passed. It was almost nine o'clock.

Yami rose from where he'd been sitting cross-legged on the edge of my bed. "Well, now that you're up—"

"Wait a second."

Yami looked back at me. "Hmm?"

I thought a moment. "Kimiru…the two of you are best friends, right?"

Yami grinned. "I love her like a sister—her _and_ the others."

"Even Derama?"

Yami's face darkened slightly. "Even after all she did…yes. At heart, she's still a sister of mine."

I nodded. "Thanks—that's what I wanted to know." I jumped to my feet. "Now, I don't know if _you've_ eaten dinner yet—but _I_ haven't, and _I'm_ starving!"

Yami smiled a little. "There's still spaghetti left over from lunch."

"Great! Thanks!" I dashed off to the kitchen. "Hey, Yuugi! Grab me some spaghetti, wouldja?"

Yuugi made a face at me. "Get it yourself, aneki!"

I pretended to pout at him. "Fine! Be that way!"

We both laughed, and I went to the kitchen to grab myself a bowl. "You know I can't be your big sister, Yuugi—we aren't really related, and I'm younger that you by about a month!"

"So?"

I laughed. "Good point. Hey, where's the grated cheese?" I had just opened the refrigerator, and I couldn't find the cheese anywhere.

Yuugi put on an innocent expression that not even I fell for. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious, Yuugi. Where's the cheese?"

"It's behind the orange juice. You really need to learn to look harder."

I rolled my eyes, reaching behind the jug of orange juice and grabbing the grated cheese. "_You_ need to stop doing stuff like that to me! It's not funny!"

Yuugi grinned. "'It's only funny until someone gets hurt—_then_ it's hilarious!'"

I laughed. "_Someone's_ been watching too much American TV!"

Yuugi shrugged. "Hey, this is America. What did you expect?"

I shook my head. "You've got a point, I guess."

At that moment, the phone rang. I sidled over to it and picked it up. "Eeyello?"

"Miriku, this is urgent."

I raised my eyebrows. It was John—and he sounded absolutely serious. "Yeah?"

"School starts next month. What the heck are we going to do with the anime characters when it comes around?"

* * *

**Uh-oh...problems much! What are we gonna do?**

**Review, please! Peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, macadamia nut cookies, AND sugar cookies all around! Take your pick, folks!**


	22. Revelation

**WH00T WH00T! Let's go! Who'syermomma! CHAPTER 22 IS UP AND RUNNING!

* * *

Revelation**

I swore under my breath. "I never even thought about school! You're right—what are we going to do?"

"Miriku, if I knew, do you think I would have called you in the first place?"

"Uh…"

"Exactly."

I rolled my eyes. "Great. Just _lovely._ Got any bright ideas, Johnny-boy?"

"No—that's what _you're_ for, isn't it?"

"Oh, thanks a lot," I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome. Anyway, we already know that they can't come to our school—so what are we going to do?"

I sighed. "There's only one thing we _can_ do—the problem is going to be actually _doing_ it."

"You mean…sending them home?"

"Yup."

I sighed. "Man…we've got to figure this out."

"Definitely. Are you going to call a meeting?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about it—but not tonight. It's already getting late."

"Good point. See you tomorrow?"

"See you."

I hung up the phone. "All right—I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to bed."

Yami nodded, stifling a yawn. "We were just about to get ready. You go ahead—we'll clean up in here."

I nodded, heading off for my room. I needed some sleep—a major problem awaited me tomorrow morning.

* * *

_I yanked and pulled as hard as I could, but it was no use—the door was firmly locked. The walls were steadily pressing closer and closer._

_I heard Derama's derisive laughter outside the thick door. "Let's see your precious pharaoh rescue you now!"_

"_He's coming!" I yelled. "I **know** he's coming!"_

"_Oh, am I?"_

_Shocked, I looked up. An image of Yami's face sneered down at me. "I'm not coming **anywhere,** Miriku! Rescue yourself—after all, you're such a big girl now!"_

_Derama screamed with laughter as the image continued to taunt me. "Not so brave now, are you? Not such a big girl, now that you're in over your head!"_

_I screamed as the walls began to squeeze against me—Derama's laughter and Yami's taunts echoed in my ears—pain exploded across my body—_

_Suddenly; faintly;_

"_Miriku! Miriku-chan, it's only a dream! Wake up!"

* * *

_

"Wake _up,_ Miriku-chan!"

I sat bolt upright—sending Yami tumbling off of my bed and onto the floor.

"…Ouchies."

I leaned over the edge of the bed. "Are you all right, Yami?"

The former pharaoh sat up, wincing a little as his wrist twisted oddly. "I'm fine. The question is—are _you?_"

I shuddered. "Not really…"

Yami nodded, moving back to the edge of my bed. "You were screaming—it woke me up. What was happening?"

Shuddering, I told him the whole nightmare. When I was finished, he put his good arm around my shoulder. "That's absolutely horrible. I'm glad I woke you when I did."

I looked around, as a thought suddenly came to mind. "Yami…if I was screaming, then wouldn't Yuugi have woken up, too?"

Yami started a little. "…Hai, he would have…"

A look of intense concentration crossed his face—and his eyes suddenly widened a little.

_**Miriku…can you hear me?**_

"Of _course_ I can hear you," I said, a little crossly. "You're sitting right next to me."

Yami's eyes widened again. "Miriku…I didn't _say_ that."

"But I just—"

"Not with spoken words."

I stared at him. "Wait—you said that with your _mind?_"

"Yes."

"And…I heard you…"

"Yes."

I shook my head. "This is too freaky…"

"Yes."

I glared at him. "Can't you say anything _other_ than 'yes'?"

Yami smirked a little. "Yes."

I groaned with fake distress. "Oh, Gods—the pharaoh has an American sense of humor!"

Yami grinned. "Well, we're in America, after all. There's nothing wrong with having a sense of humor from the country you're in.

"But you're the _pharaoh—_you're not _supposed_ to have that much of a sense of humor! Don't you watch the show?"

"Miriku. I _lived_ the show."

"…Oh, yeah…"

Yami laughed. _And he wonders why I love her…_

I started. "What was that?"

Yami stared at me. "What was what?"

"I just heard you say something. Or think something. And it was about me. What was it?"

Yami stared at me. Red crept up the back of his neck and his cheeks. "Uh…I…uh…"

I glared at him. "Spill it, pharaoh. Now."

By this time, Yami's face was almost completely red. "You don't really want to know," he muttered.

"Yes, I _do_ want to know. So unless you want me bugging you for the rest of your life, spill it."

"Witch."

"Damn straight."

Yami looked away. "It's…kind of complicated…"

"Then don't _say_ it. _Think_ it."

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope."

Yami closed his eyes. **_Miriku… I still can't say it…_**

I stared at him. "Hunh?"

Yami shook his head. **_It's still too complicated—it's impossible to explain. I feel delighted…and confused…and…I don't know…_**

I smirked. "Sounds like someone's in lo-ove. So who's the lucky gal, hmm?"

Yami stared at me. **_Oh, Ra, you're more of a blond than I thought…!_**

"_Heyy!_ What's that supposed to—"

Suddenly, the implications of what he was trying to say hit me. I stared at him, mouth working. "What…the…hell…"

My mind was racing. _No…way…not Yami…he's such a friggin' **hunk…** What the hell does he see in **me?**_

Yami's face was grave. "_This_ is what I see, Miriku."

And suddenly, my brain was flooded with images. I was seeing things that had already happened—but how Yami had seen them. Feeling what Yami had felt. I heard Yami's thoughts as if they had been my own—as if I were the one thinking them.

_Beautiful hair, but you always keep it up—beautiful eyes, hidden by glasses—beautiful voice, hidden by sarcasm—beautiful body, hidden by strange clothes—oh, Miriku, you **are** intriguing. Why do you hide yourself? You are so beautiful, and yet you put yourself down. You disclaim your very nature. I want to protect you, but you don't need protection—you are so strong, and so beautiful. Beautiful like a rose in the desert—beautiful like a ruby among rocks—beautiful like a tall birch in the center of a busy city—like nature itself—like silver—like gold—_

I shook my head, _hard._ "Stop it, Yami! _Stop it!_"

The visions faded. Yami's head was bowed, and his eyes were closed. "Miriku…" His voice was very soft. "I've never felt…this kind of emotion…this is all new to me…" He wrapped his arms lightly about his waist. "I'm sorry…"

I shook my head. "It's not your fault, Yami…trust me, I'm more than a little confused myself."

"But…I shouldn't have said anything…I've gone and ruined everything…"

I raised my eyebrows. "Ruined everything what?"

Yami shook his head a little. "I was going to wait…until I was sure…but…"

I rolled my eyes. "Hel-_lo,_ Earth to Yami! Are you even paying _attention_ to me? Honestly, I'd think you were a friggin' _blond_ if I didn't know any better! Sheesh!"

Yami stared at me. "You mean—?"

I grinned. "No duh."

And then, I opened my own mind to him—pouring out all the emotions that I had been hiding.

Yami gasped a little, and I felt him trying to control the rapid flow—but I wouldn't let him. I did to him what he had done to me—pounding him with event after event and feeling after feeling.

After about a minute, I stopped. "Does that answer your question, Yami?"

Yami smiled a little. "Yes. Thank you, Miriku…"

I shrugged. "Eh. That's what friends are for."

"And you are a very good friend…"

On impulse, I reached out and hugged him. "I try."

Yami smiled a little, and gently pushed me away. "You really ought to go back to sleep, Miriku."

I grinned sheepishly. "Aww, hell—I'm so wired up right now, I couldn't get back to sleep even if I tried!"

Yami's smile widened. "Then let me help you. Just lean back and close your eyes—and remember to take off your glasses."

I rolled my eyes, pulling my glasses off and setting them on the table next to my bed. "Dursh." I leaned back and burrowed under the blanket. "Go ahead—I'd _really_ like to get back to sleep."

Blurrily, I saw Yami stand up. He knelt next to my bed, and began to chant softly. As I listened, my eyes felt heavier and heavier.

In a sudden flash, the chanting translated itself into English in my mind.

"_Rest, beloved, little friend,  
__Although the night is dark—  
__Re returns, as ever he does,  
__Bringing day's bright spark._

_Rest, beloved, always know  
__That I am ever here—  
__I will help you through your pain,  
__And hold you through your fear."

* * *

_

_**Yami POV**_

I smiled a little as Miriku's eyes closed, and her breathing steadied. She was very much asleep.

"Good night, Miriku-koi," I murmured, leaving her room and heading back towards the guest room.

My mind was in a whirl. Miriku—kind, caring Miriku—_did_ feel for me as I felt for her. The knowledge was heartening—and even a bit intoxicating. I felt like a burden had been taken off my shoulders—like I could finally rest easy.

I had thought it was all in vain…now I knew.

I lay back down on my bed, and closed my eyes.

_Miriku-koi…I never thought I'd be able to say it. Koishii…beloved…Miriku…_

I thought I would never get to sleep—but I was wrong.

* * *

**Uh...okay, this is one _LAME-O_ ending...**

**Review, please! CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES FOR EVERYONE! YEAH!**


	23. WorldWide Fair, Here We Come!

**OMG, I am _so_ sorry for the wait! I swear, writer's block will be the death of me--and Gaia Online isn't helping!

* * *

"World-Wide Fair, Here We Come!"**

_**Damien POV**_

"Sonja…_Son-_ja…"

My sister completely ignored me, continuing to dig through her closet.

"You leave me no choice," I muttered, shaking my head. I then raised my voice. "Look—it's the Yuugi versus Yami episode!"

Sonja whipped around. "_Where!_"

I collapsed into laughter. "_Sonja!_ I've done that to you a million times, and you _still_ fall for it!"

Sonja growled at me, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, did you want something?"

I pulled a folded piece of paper out of my pocket and tossed it to her. "Read this."

Sonja unfolded the paper and scanned it. Her eyes slowly widened. "Nuh-uh!"

I grinned. "Uh-huh. A fair is coming to town—and it'll be here this afternoon."

Sonja waved the paper through the air. "Yeah—and it's _leaving_ tomorrow morning! How're we gonna get to it?"

My grin widened. "It's simple, really—all we have to do is change our business hours a little. We'll leave the karaoke bar and the shop open until noon, instead of five—that way we can hit the fair and hang out until it closes at seven."

Sonja made a face at me. "What about the others? Don't you think they'd want to come?"

I nodded. "Yeah—I'll call them up."

Sonja pumped her fist in the air. "Oh yeah! World-Wide Fair, here we come!"

* * *

_**Miriku POV**_

I carefully unwound the last of the linen. "There. Try it now."

Cautiously, Yami flexed his wrist. His face brightened. "It's a little stiff—but it's healed!"

I nodded triumphantly. "I _told_ you I knew what I was doing!"

_Rrrrrring…_

_Rrrrrring…_

_Rrrrrring…_

I rolled my eyes, and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Miriku—it's Damien."

"'Allo, Damien. What's up?"

"Not much. There's a fair coming to town today, and Sonja and I were wondering if you guys wanted to come."

I grinned. "A fair? Awesome! Hang on—I'll talk to Yuugi and Yami. We just took Yami's cast off, so that gives us even more of an excuse to go."

Yuugi stuck his spiky head into the living room from the kitchen. "Someone say my name?"

I looked over at him. "Yeah—there's a fair in town. Damien wants to know if you guys wanted to come."

Yuugi grinned. "I've never been to any American fairs before."

"They probably aren't that much different from Japanese fairs," I pointed out.

Yami grinned. "So? I think we should go!"

Yuugi nodded firmly. "Me too—it sounds like fun."

I grinned, and spoke back into the phone. "That's a big fat yes from us. Are you calling everyone else, too?"

"Yeah—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They're setting up at the Youth Fair area, so that's _got_ to be good!"

I gawked. "No way! They have permission to use the stuff?"

"Yep. The roller coasters, the Ferris Wheel, the Drop of Fear—you name it, they got it."

I grinned. "Sweetness! So it _will_ be like the Youth Fair!"

"Mm-hmm. I'm going to call the others up now—you guys might want to start preparing. Getting snacks and water together, you know. Maybe even sun block."

"…When are we leaving for the fair, anyway?"

"Sonja and I figured around noon."

I glanced at the clock. "That gives us…three and a half hours to get ready. Right. See you there, then?"

"See you."

_Click._

I hung up the phone—and let out a whoop, pumping my fist in the air. "All right! This is gonna be awesome!"

Yuugi grinned. "You said it, aneki! This is going to be fun!"

* * *

As we walked down the street, I checked my list. Yuugi and Yami searched through the backpacks—theirs and mine—to make sure we had everything.

"Sun block."

_Rustle…_

_Rustle…_

"Check."

"Check."

"Snacks."

_Rustle…_

_Rustle…_

"Check."

"Check."

"I've got the money."

"Mm-hmm."

"Right."

"Sunglasses and hats."

"Check."

"Check."

"Water bottles."

_Rustle…rustle…rustle…_

"Uh…"

I groaned. "_Please_ don't tell me you forgot to grab water bottles, Yuugi!"

Yuugi grinned sheepishly. "Sumimasen, Miriku-aneki. I thought I had grabbed some."

I sighed. "It's all right. Yami, how much water do you have in your backpack?"

_Rustle…Rustle…Rustle…_

"Uh…"

I groaned. "Don't tell me—_you_ forgot, too?"

"Umm…hai…"

"Boys," I muttered, shaking my head. I heaved a long-suffering sigh. "I have three bottles in my backpack."

Yami blinked. "That's only one for each of us!"

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks for the help, math genius. Now that we know you can divide, mind telling me where we can get more without having to go back to the apartment, or buying more with out fair money?"

"Uh…"

I shook my head, exasperated. "Never mind. I guess we'll just have to hope that the others have water."

Yuugi looked around, pushing back his flaming red bangs and wiping sweat off his forehead. "How much longer is it going to take to reach the fairgrounds?"

I grimaced. "We're going on foot. The grounds are three miles from my house. We've been walking for about twenty minutes. Do the math."

There was a minute or so of silence as Yuugi calculated in his head. "That's almost two hours!"

"Which is why we started early," I confirmed.

Yami groaned. "The last time I walked _this_ much was after the train crash!"

Yuugi blinked. "You were in a train crash?"

Yami nodded. "That was right before we met Ironheart."

"Oh."

Suddenly, there was a loud honk from behind us. Startled, we turned around—and were surprised to see Merekai's mom's charcoal Dodge minivan pull over beside us. We were even more surprise when the driver's window rolled down—and it was _Ryou._ Beside him in the middle-front seat was Mikey, and riding shotgun was Dean.

Ryou grinned, waving. "Yuugi-san! Yami-san! Miriku-san! Need a ride?"

I blinked at the white-haired teen. "Ryou. You're _fifteen._ How is it that you're _driving?_"

Ryou grinned, flashing a plastic card at me. "In Japan, you test for a driver's license on your fifteenth birthday. Besides, I'm going to be sixteen in two months, so what does it matter?"

He looked over his shoulder. "You guys should get in now—they're getting impatient. Careful—it's a bit crowded back there."

I snorted, grabbing the door handle. "Honestly, Ryou, how bad could it—"

I never got to finish. The second I pulled open the door, Kaiba and Terra fell out, knocking me backwards into Yuugi and Yami. All five of us ended up on the ground, Kaiba and Terra deathglaring each other, Yami, Yuugi, and I laughing our heads off.

Sonja stuck her head out, and looked at Kaiba and Terra. "Guys, what are you doing? Get back in here!" Terra and Kaiba both glared at Sonja, before climbing back into the van.

Sonja blinked. "Hey, Yami—your cast is off!"

Yami grinned, waving his hand in front of Sonja's face. "Got it off this morning—it's great to be able to use my hand again!"

"Well, good for you," came Bakura's sarcastic voice. "Now get your happy butts in here before I _really_ lose it."

"Cool it, thief," Damien snapped.

Sonja rolled her eyes. "You two had better get in here, before I kill a certain tomb robber that is currently sitting across the van from me. Careful—Mere took out the seats so that there would be more room, but it's still a little tight."

_A little tight_ was the understatement of the year. The three of us ended up squeezed at the back, behind Joey, Sonja, and Damien. And we had to sit like that for the remainder of the trip—half an hour.

Suddenly, Ryou hit a bump in the road, sending those of us in the back sliding. We all skidded around, before finding something to grab hold of and getting back into place.

"Thanks a lot, baka hikari," Bakura said sarcastically. "Mind hitting it harder next time? I wasn't tossed about hard enough."

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Would _you_ like to drive, then?"

"…"

"Thank you. Now be quiet and let _me_ take care of this."

_/Hmm. Having fun?_

I rolled my eyes, exasperated. **_/I'm squashed at the back of a minivan, Kimiru. What do _you_ think?_**

I got the sense that Kimiru was sniggering. _/No. Are you having fun where you're sitting?_

I blinked—and then realized that I was practically sitting on Yami's lap. I blushed a little, scooting over.

Yami blinked at me. **_Is something wrong, Miriku-koi? Why did you move?_**

I glared at him. _Shut up, pharaoh-boy. You could have at least warned me._

Yami smirked. **_But I _like_ you sitting there!_**

_Perv._

_**Your point?**_

I deathglared him. _**Please** go back to your normal self. This acting-like-Bakura thing does **not** work out for you._

_**Fine.**_

Bakura looked over at Ryou. "How much longer 'til we reach the fair? I'm bored out of my mind back here!"

Malik rolled his eyes. "Then go cuddle with hippie-girl over there, and leave us alone!" he snapped, irritated.

"Not funny!" Bakura and Sam shouted at the same time.

Ryou sighed. "It won't be much longer. Try to keep from murdering each other until then, will you?"

Marik giggled, scooting a little closer to Malik. "You'll protect me—won't you, Malik-kun?"

Malik edged away. "In your dreams, woman!"

Kaiba smirked. "Why do I think that this dream might end up becoming a reality?"

Terra elbowed him. "Shut up, Kaiba."

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

"Why should I do what you tell me to do?"

"Because _I'm_ the good girl, and _you're_ just a prick."

"Oh well. I guess you'll have to deal."

Terra yanked on her hair. "You're impossible!"

"Thank you."

Terra's hands twitched. "I swear, one of these days…"

Sonja grabbed her wrists. "Easy there, Terra! You're going to end up giving yourself a heart attack!"

Terra growled, but sat back and calmed down.

John looked at Kaiba. "Saved by a girl, from a girl. And you aren't the _least_ bit embarrassed?"

Everyone laughed, while Kaiba deathglared him and Bakura gave him a high-five.

Suddenly, Dustil began to bounce in his seat. "Look! I can see the entrance from here!"

And sure enough, when we all looked out Dustil's window, the tall wall with the ticket lines came into our line of vision. You could see the taller rides—the Dopple Looper roller coaster and the Drop of Fear, to name two.

Mikey pumped her fist in the air. "Yeah! It's time to have some fun!"

There was a resounding cheer from all of us inside the car (excluding Kaiba, _of course_) as Ryou pulled into the overly large parking lot of the fair.

* * *

**Hoyeah! It's time for some psycho fun-ness at the fair! Review, please--I have more sugar cookies!**


	24. Entrance to the Fair

**Wow, that didn't even take forever...

* * *

Entrance to the Fair**

"Do we _have_ ta walk all dat way?" Jonouchi groaned when we all got out of the van. Ryou had parked in the nearest empty parking space—which happened to be about three quarters of the way out.

Bakura rolled his eyes, stretching his cramped legs. "Apparently, yes. And it's a good way to get exercise, so move your butt."

Terra glared at him. "Be nice, thief, or I'll rip your tongue out."

Mikey blinked. "Uh…Terra?"

"What?" Terra snapped. She then blinked, and made a face. "Oh—sorry, Mikey. I'm starting to get a headache, that's all."

"Maybe you should stay here," Sonja suggested.

Terra firmly shook her head. "I'm fine. Really. Just a little stressed out."

Mikey eyed her with concern, but said nothing else.

Sam tapped me on the arm. "Miriku, I gotta tell you something," she whispered.

She and I slowed down a little, until we were at the back of the group. "What is it, Sam?"

"I'm sensing somethin' from Terra," she murmured. "Somethin' that feels like Derama…and Kimiru…and neither, and both at the same time…"

My eyebrows shot up. "_Hunh?_"

Sam shook her head. "It's hard to explain. The karma is _almost_ the same, but not quite…"

My eyes widened, as did Sam's. "…Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Sammy?"

Sam nodded. "I'm thinkin' that _Terra_ might be the one with Kimiru's and Derama's sisters."

I shook my head. "Boy oh boy…"

It made sense. I remembered what Kimiru had shown me—that Kemisi had once had a crush on the High Priest Seto, but pretended to hate his guts. If she had really been reincarnated into Terra, then it made absolute sense that she and Kaiba should bicker and fight the way they did.

"Don't tell anyone," I murmured to Sam, before running to catch up to the rest of the group. "Are we there yet?" I whined annoyingly.

Bakura glared at me. "Ra damn, you can be irritating when you want to be."

"Thank you. It's a gift."

"More like a curse," Bakura grumbled.

"Anything that annoys _you_ is a blessing," Yami muttered with a snigger.

"Shut up, pharaoh."

"No."

Ryou rolled his eyes. "Can't you two _please_ keep from murdering each other until we reach the ticket lines, at least?"

"No," Bakura and Yami said in unison.

Malik smirked. "This is like listening to you and Kaiba," he said to Terra—and immediately had to duck as she threw a punch at him.

Dustil ran ahead, Merekai hot on his heels. "Hurry up, slowpokes!" Merekai called over her shoulder. "I want to go buy some chocolate-covered waffles!"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Chocolate-covered _waffles?_ How much stranger can this woman _get?_"

"Not much, I'm sure," Damien said, shaking his head.

I grinned. "Oh, I've seen her in much stranger predicaments. Remember—I've know this girl longer that either of you."

"…Good point."

Marik began to bounce up and down. "We're here, guys! We're here we're here we're here!"

Sure enough, we'd reached the ticket lines. "You guys should go and wait at the entrance," Damien said. "Sonja and I will buy the tickets."

Malik waved a sketchy sort of salute. "Yes sir."

Damien rolled his eyes. "Malik, stop it."

"All right."

Sonja and Damien went off to stand in the line, while the rest of us went to wait by the entrance.

Dustil began to bounce excitedly up and down. "I can't wait I can't wait I can't wait! Can't those two move _any_ faster!"

Dean put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. In case you haven't noticed, those are some very long lines."

"I know that—but _still!_"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Stop whining, midget. We'll get in eventually."

Ryou smiled a little. "Has anyone got the power to fast-forward time?" he joked.

Mikey laughed. "That's impossible! Not even the Millennium Items can speed up time!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of hard, iron-gray light.

"_I_ could probably do it," Terra said in a calm voice.

But—it wasn't _Terra._ The girl who now stood in Terra's place had the same blond hair, but with a few black streaks. Her eyes were a molten gold color—similar to Marik's, but considerably deeper. And she had silvery-gray ears and tail.

I felt Kimiru's amazement, changing into remembered loneliness, changing into hatred.

I looked at Sam—but Derama had taken over. And Derama was staring at Kemisi with a snarl on her face. "Oh, looky. The wimp is here."

Kemisi growled. "Shut up, robber's favorite."

I felt Kimiru struggling to get out. _/It's—Kemisi—let me **out,** Miriku!_

_**/Okay, okay!**_

I let Kimiru take control, and phased out. When I got out, I saw that Terra and Sam had done the same.

Derama and Kemisi stood about five feet apart, glaring daggers at each other. Kimiru stood between and a little off to the side of them, glancing back and forth.

Terra stared at Kemisi. "…Whoa."

I grinned wryly. "Yeah, that's about how _we_ felt."

Yuugi looked nervously around. "Uh, guys. Can we deal with this later? We're starting to attract attention."

I looked around. True enough, people were casting us curious glances. "Kimiru, let me in."

Kemisi started, and whipped her head around. "_Kimiru?_"

Malik sighed exasperatedly. "_Later,_ people!"

Kemisi and Derama glared at each other once more, before disappearing in their own flashes of black and silver light. Kimiru shook her head, before disappearing in a flicker of white. When the lights faded, Sam, Terra, and I were back in control of our bodies.

Terra gave her head a good shake. "Heh. No wonder I had such a headache earlier. I guess I was fighting Kemisi off without even realizing it."

"…Okay, now that _that_ weirdness is over, can we go in?"

All of us whipped around. Sonja and Damien were standing behind us, tickets in hand.

Sonja sighed. "Kids."

Merekai made a face. "Hey, _I'm_ only _one_ year younger than you!"

Dustil made a face at her. "And _I'm_ three years younger than her. So _that's_ not fair."

Damien rolled his eyes. "Anyway, people, here you go—the entrance tickets and the wristbands."

Bakura raised his eyebrows. "…_Wristbands?_"

Merekai grinned. "Cool! Unlimited rides! That is _sweet!_"

"…Oh. I knew that."

Malik sniggered. "Doubt it."

Bakura deathglared him. "No one asked you."

"No one needed to."

Terra rolled her eyes. "Can we just go in now? _Please?_"

I grinned a little. "Sounds good to me. That _is_ what we came for."

Sonja held up one had. "First, we need to split into groups of two. No one wanders around by themselves. Damien and I are one pair. The others are Kaiba and Terra, Ryou and Mikey, Dean and John, Malik and Marik, Miriku and Yami, Bakura and Sam, Jonouchi and Merekai, and Yuugi and Dustil. All right, guys—anyone need help with their wristbands? No? Okay, then!"

The eighteen **(A/N:** Whoa—how the hell did we go from _six_ real people to _eleven?_ And _then_ plus the seven YuGiOh people… Holy crap… of us passed through the turnstiles and split off into our pairs.

"Remember—we need to be back here by six fifty-five!" Sonja reminded us over the clamor of the other people in the fair.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, okay. We know when we come _back._ Can we actually _go_ now?"

Sonja glared at him, and then sighed. "All right. And remember guys—have fun!"

Bakura grumbled something that sounded like, "Yeah right," as he was led off by Sam. The other pairs turned and drifted away as well.

Yami looked around. "So…where should we go first?"

I shrugged, and started off in a random direction. "I dunno—but, like Sonja said, let's just have some fun!"

* * *

**Yay, fun-ness! ...I have a feeling the next chapter is going to be _very_ long...**

**Review, please! ALL KINDSA COOKIES!**


	25. The Fair

**GYAH! I posted this once, but I forgot to translate the song...-.-;;

* * *

The Fair **

_**Terra POV**_

I sighed, and looked at Kaiba. "You don't have to come with me on any of the rides—but don't wander off on me either, or I'll kill you."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "In case you hadn't realized this by now, _I don't know my way around this place._ If I were to wander off, I'd get lost. So, if you don't mind, I'm staying put."

I grinned. "Oh, I don't mind a bit. Now, let's go find something fun to do!"

We passed a candy booth—and I squealed. "Ooh! Cotton candy! Be right back!" I bought a huge bag of cotton candy, and ignoring Kaiba's protests, I began popping chunks in my mouth.

He made a face. "You're braver than I thought."

I snorted. "That's _got_ to be an insult."

"No. Cotton candy in Japan tastes more like raw cotton than candy."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Well, here in America, cotton candy is more sugar than anything." I tore off a piece. "Want some?"

Kaiba eyed me suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

I shook my head. "No catch. Just eat it."

With a skeptical look on his face, Kaiba took the cotton candy and popped it into his mouth. "This isn't bad!"

I grinned. "Told ya."

Kaiba looked around as we approached an intersection, reaching for another chunk of cotton candy. "Which way should we go?"

I pointed to the left. "That way is the indoor exhibits—art, science, cooking, models, all kinds of stuff." I pointed straight ahead. "That way is the roller coasters, the ascending Drop of Fears, the Spinning Viking Ship of Doom thingy, and all that." I jerked my head to the right. "That way is the kiddie rides. Don't worry about food or drinks, there are concession stand all over this place."

"We're _not_ going on the kiddie rides," Kaiba said flatly.

"I know. So, what's first? Rides or exhibits?"

Kaiba thought for a moment. "Logic says go to the rides first. That way, we can go to the exhibits when we get tired."

"And you always listen to logic?"

Kaiba growled. "Okay, so I want to ride a roller coaster. So what? The last time_ I_ went to an amusement park was when I was eleven."

I grinned. "Then this should be fun. Let's go!"

As we walked, I spotted a camera booth. "Come on—I want to do this."

"Do what?" Kaiba asked suspiciously.

I shrugged. "Get our picture taken. Come on!"

Kaiba stood firm, crossing his arms. "Seto Kaiba doesn't have his picture taken," he said flatly.

I smirked. "You're not Seto Kaiba right now, remember? You're Sorien Miasawa. And Sorien Miasawa is getting his picture taken, whether he likes it or not."

I dragged him towards the little booth, and ducked under the curtain, pulling him in after me.

"This is stupid," Kaiba muttered as I slipped a couple of quarters into the machine.

"Everything here is stupid to you," I pointed out, sitting back. "Now shut up and smile for the camera."

A few minutes later, we were walking down the path again. I shuffled through the six pictures—the first consisting of me smiling nicely and Kaiba deathglaring me, and the other five consisting of me making weird faces at the camera and Kaiba eyeing me like I was insane. "You could have at least _tried_ to smile," I muttered sourly, slipping them into my bag.

Kaiba snorted. "That would mean letting you have your way. And _that's_ not going to happen any time soon."

I elbowed him. "Shut up."

Kaiba smirked. "Why?"

And that got us started into that old argument—again.

_**

* * *

Mikey POV **_

"Are you good?" Ryou asked as the Skyrise took off with a bump.

I nodded, looking out over the edge of the little car as it rose up and up along the wire. Soon, we were about twenty feet in the air, and had a bird's-eye view of the entire park.

Ryou leaned over the edge, shading his eyes with his hand. "Hey, look—I think I see John!"

He groaned. "What a baka…he just dumped his water on Dean's head!"

I couldn't help but giggle. I peered over myself. "I see Dustil and Yuugi! They just got off the bumper cars—and they're going right back on!"

Ryou laughed. "And there's Sonja trying to get Damien in the funhouse!"

I pointed. "Merekai and Jonouchi are at a concession stand. Look at how much food they've got!"

"There goes Marik—she's really giving Malik a run for his money! Literally!"

The two of us collapsed into laughter. We then tried to find the remaining pairs, but couldn't.

Ryou sighed. "Oh well. Can't have 'em all, eh?"

I grinned. "Right."

We sat in silence for a moment. Ryou began to kick his legs back and forth, causing the whole car to swing.

"Ryou!" I gasped, clutching at the safety bar as the car swung up at a forty-five-degree angle.

Ryou immediately stopped swinging his legs, grabbing my shoulders. "Gomen, gomen! Gomen nasai, Mikey-koi!"

I blinked. "Wha?"

Ryou blinked, too. "What what?"

"What did you call me?"

Ryou grinned. "Mikey-koi. Why?"

I gave my head a little shake. "That's what I _thought_ you said."

Ryou frowned a little. "If you want me not to—"

I smiled at him. "No, it's all right. Really. It's just… Never mind."

I turned to look back out over the edge of the car. Somehow—even with what had been happening—I _still_ wasn't expecting being called _Mikey-koi_ by _Ryou._ It was the stuff of my dreams.

I felt his hand on mine. "Are you sure you're all right, Mikey?"

"…I am now," I said softly, holding his hand a little tighter.

_**

* * *

Bakura POV **_

"No. Man, I am not getting anywhere _near_ that."

I rolled my eyes. "For Ra's sake, it's a _roller coaster—_and it's not even a very fast one!"

Sam's face went a bit pale as she watched the cars of the Dopple Looper run up and around the twin loops. "I've never been on a roller coaster before," she moaned softly.

I grinned, grabbing her wrist. "There's a first time for everything!" I then proceeded to drag her over to the line. "And don't even _think_ about trying to call Derama out on me—she has no problems with things that spin and whirl at high speeds."

Sam paled even more. "Crud," she groaned.

It didn't take long before we were seated in the roller coaster—in the very front seats, at my insistence. The ride attendant buckled down the safety harnesses, and with a jerk, the ride started off.

"This isn't good," Sam muttered to herself, looking around as we went higher and higher.

I grinned. "Oh, yes it is!"

The cars stopped, hovering on the edge of a forty-five-degree drop. Without much imagining, I saw myself on a steep cliff, tottering on the edge, about to fall—

And the coaster dived.

The wind whipped my hair back from my face. The roller coaster went fast—_very_ fast. Beside me, Sam was screaming—but it was a scream of exhilaration, not of fear. Feeling a fierce, wild rush of excitement, I grabbed her hand.

The coaster went over the twin loops, curved, spun, went upside-down—and pulled us back up to the top of the hill for a second run.

"You ready for another time around?" I murmured to Sam. She nodded, eyes bright with excitement.

And the coaster dropped again.

Two minutes later, we were standing in the middle of the wide fair lane, regaining our balance on the still ground. I grinned. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Sam grinned, too. "I guess not!"

"So, you up for another roller coaster?"

"Yeah—let's go!"

_**

* * *

Sonja POV **_

"This is _boring,_" I whined. Damien absolutely refused to go on any of the rides except the bumper cars—and I didn't _want_ to go on the bumper cars.

Damien glared at me. "Deal with it."

"You sound like Kaiba," I commented dryly—and ducked as Damien threw a punch at me. "Nyaaah—and you hit like him too! Or rather, miss!"

I ran, laughing, Damien on my tail. "_When I get my hands on you, Sonja—!_"

"You'll have to catch me fir—ulp!" Damien grabbed my wrist from behind, yanking me backwards.

He smirked. "You were saying?"

I tried to yank my wrist out of his grasp. "_Damien!_ Lemme go!"

Damien shook his head. "Why? The bumper cars are right here!"

He stopped. "Wait—I think I hear Yuugi! Listen!"

I paused, listening. Sure enough, I head Yuugi's voice—and Dustil's, too.

"Iie, Dustil, we've gone on these a million times! I want to go do something else!"

"But Yuugi, these are fun!"

"But I'm _tired_ of bumper cars!"

Damien looked at me. We both nodded, and walked up to the two shorter boys.

"We heard you two arguing," Damien said, grinning. "We have the same problem—I want to go on the bumper cars, and Sonja doesn't. How about we switch buddies?"

Yuugi nodded. "Shimeta. Fine with me."

Dustil grinned at Damien. "Last one in line's a rotten egg!" The two of them headed back for the line.

Yuugi grinned at me. "I was looking at one of the Haunted Houses earlier, but Dustil wouldn't leave the bumper cars. Are you coming?"

I grinned. "Definitely."

After about two minutes, Yuugi managed to find the Haunted House. We showed the person in charge our wristbands **(A/N:** Which I just remembered are called POP Tickets—Pay One Price), and stepped inside.

The lights immediately went dim as the door closed behind us. We were inside a large hexagonal room with a door on every other wall. There was writing in red paint on the wall across from our door.

**Pick a door.  
Pick your fate.  
****Find your way out of the Haunted Labyrinth.**

Yuugi shivered a little. "That doesn't sound too good…"

I sighed. "Come _on,_ Yuugi. This is just another lame-o, cheap-o haunted house ride."

Yuugi looked around suspiciously. "I dunno…"

"_I_ know. Now pick a door."

Yuugi looked between the doors for a moment, and then pointed at the door to the right. "That one."

I nodded. "To the right, then!" I reached for the doorknob, and pulled open the door. We stepped through, into a very dimly-lit room—and something dropped at us. Yuugi let out a small shriek, ducking behind me.

I started backwards—and the grinned. "Look, Yuugi—it's just a fake!" In fact, it was a plastic skeleton on strings, holding a wooden sign. In green paint were the words 'Turn back, if you don't want to end up like me!'.

Yuugi giggled. "He's not that scary!"

"Really?" I teased. "Then how come you jumped practically two feet in the air?"

Yuugi stuck his tongue out at me, and I laughed.

We looked around the room. Once again, it was hexagonal, with a door on every other wall. "Should we go right again?"

Yuugi shook his head. "Let's go to the left."

"All right, then! Let's go!"

We went through the door—and into pitch blackness. As soon as entered, the door shut itself, condemning us to darkness.

"Sonja?" I heard Yuugi call nervously. "Are you still in here?"

"You would've seen a light somewhere if I walked out." I replied into the darkness. "Where are you?"

"I don't know…try saying something so I can come to you."

I shrugged and began to sing the first song that came to mind—_Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo_, which happened to be my all-time favorite song and the first ever ending song of YuGiOh.

"_Call my name  
__Dareka ga yobu koe  
__Kurayami no fukai kanashimi  
__Shiroi suhada no kimi ga  
__Boku no soko ni hikari wo sasu…_

_Kuro ka shiro ka wakaranai mama  
__Konna ai wa jidaiokure nano ka  
__Bokura wa ichinichijuu  
__Asa ga otozureru no wo matsu dake…_

_Ashita moshi kimi ga kowaretemo  
__Koko kara nigedasanai  
__Tsukareta karada wo iyasu  
__Kimi no hohoemi yo…_

_Lonely heart  
__Moteamasu kokoro  
__Pokkari ana ga aita you da  
__Jibun wo osaekirezu  
__Nanika ni iraira shiteta…_

_Ano koi wo wasurerarenai to  
__Deatta koro hanashiteta ne  
__Honshin wo kakushita kao  
__Mada boku niwa sukui ga arisou?_

_Ashita moshi kimi ga kowaretemo  
__Samayoi tsuzukeru darou  
__Aishite hajimete shita  
__Ushinau kowasa wo…_

_Ashita moshi kimi ga kowaretemo  
__Nani mo mienaku natte mo  
__Yasuraka na toki no naka de  
__Bokura wa arukidasu…_

_Kimi no maboroshi yo…_"

I felt something brush against me. "Yuugi? Did you just brush up against something?"

Then something grabbed my waist. "Please tell me this is you, Sonja!" Yuugi cried from somewhere around the vicinity of my chest.

I grinned. "If Damien saw this, he'd have your head," I joked. The sigh of relief following my statement confirmed that the cling-on was, in fact, Yuugi.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on. Sure enough, Yuugi was holding me tightly, face buried in my chest. "Uh, yeah—if Damien saw this, he'd _really_ go Kaiba on your butt."

Yuugi looked up—and let go quickly, blushing.

I realized that, though the room was much larger than the previous two, it was still hexagonal. "This is getting _really_ redundant," I muttered. "To the left again."

Yuugi whimpered a little as I opened the door and we entered a corridor filled with fake cobwebs. He glanced cautiously around as we walked.

"You're lucky you're a midget," I muttered sourly, ducking under the hanging cobwebs for the umpteenth time. "I swear, sometimes I think I'm getting too tall…"

"I don't think so," Yuugi said a little too lightly, still glancing nervously around. "I think you're fine the way you are…"

I smiled a little. "You're always so optimistic…that's one of the things that make you so cute…" I laughed as Yuugi blushed even harder.

I ducked yet another cobweb—and ran into a door. I yelped, stumbling backwards and rubbing my nose. "Who put that door there!"

Yuugi giggled a little, and peered into the next room.

"Sonja. You're not gonna _believe_ this." He threw open the door.

I blinked. "No. Way. _Duel Monsters?_"

Yes. The pictures off the cards I treasured so much—right here in front of me, as wax statues.

Yuugi's fear was immediately diminished, as he was in 'familiar' territory. He ran towards a life-sized statue of Gaia the Fierce Knight. "They're almost exactly like the holograms!" he exclaimed, amazed.

I chuckled. He might have been fourteen, but he was still a little kid at heart…

Suddenly, I spotted one of _my_ monsters looming regally over the figure of a Petit Dragon. "Hey! It's Galactica!"

Yuugi looked over at me, confused. "Hunh? There's no card named Galactica…"

I pointed at the statue. It was of a woman with a large yellow crown that looked like a headdress, wearing a royal blue robe and dark blue cloak. Her pitch black eyes stared lifelessly at us, thin mouth in a permanent frown. "That is to say, Cosmo Queen—Attack twenty-nine hundred, Defense twenty-four fifty. My all-time favorite."

"You duel?" he asked, cocking his head.

I nodded, waving my deck in front of his nose before slipping it back into the box that was attached to my belt. "Watching you and Yami duel makes _me_ want to. But sadly, Damien is just no match—plus, he's a sore loser."

Yuugi laughed. "I guess Kaiba's looks weren't the only thing he got!"

It took me three whole minutes to stop laughing after that remark.

Yuugi began to prowl around—and stopped in front of a row of humanoid-looking monsters. "I've never seen these before!" he exclaimed.

I grinned. "If Miriku were in here, she'd be having a blast. _Those,_ my friend, are the Elemental Heroes—at least, the ones that aren't fusions." I pointed to a man in a green outfit, with white wings extending from his back. "This one's Elemental Hero Avian—Attack and Defense one thousand." The next one in line was a girl dressed all in red. "This is E-Hero Burstinatrix—Attack twelve hundred, Defense eight hundred."

I continued down the line. "Bladedge—Attack twenty-six hundred, Defense eighteen hundred. Wildheart—Attack fifteen hundred, Defense sixteen hundred. Bubbleman—Attack eight hundred, Defense twelve hundred. Clayman—Attack eight hundred, Defense two thousand. Sparkman—Attack sixteen hundred, Defense fourteen hundred. Necroshade—Attack sixteen hundred, Defense eighteen hundred."

As we walked towards the only other door in the room, we passed a statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Its pupil-less blue eyes glared menacingly at us. I shivered inwardly.

Yuugi looked up at me. "Something wrong?"

I shuddered. "Nothing, it's just—I can't help it. Seeing those eyes just staring at you…blank, but menacing…it creeps me out."

Yuugi snorted. "Try standing it when it's also roaring bloody murder at you."

"…Good point."

We walked past it very briskly. I opened the door—and we emerged into sunlight that was, for a moment, _much_ too bright.

Yuugi shaded his eyes. "Ooh—turn off the _sun!_"

I squinted down the street. "Man, I can't believe it's over already!" I was having fun. Trekking through the maze with no one around but Yuugi…

Speaking of whom—he was waving excitedly at someone. I turned around to see who he was waving at—and saw Jonouchi and Merekai approaching.

"Hey, guys!" Merekai called when they got close enough.

Jonouchi looked over our shoulders. "You guys went in dere too, huh? Cool! Did ya see all dose Duel Monsters?"

"Yep!" I replied cheerfully. "I even saw my Cosmo Queen!"

Jonouchi looked strangely at me. "You duel?" I rolled my eyes and nodded.

Suddenly, I grinned. "Hey, Jonouchi—what did you do, see the Blue-Eyes and run for cover?"

"Yeah, he did!" Merekai giggled. "He looked over his shoulder, saw it, and ran!"

Jonouchi gave her a playful shove. "Did not!"

Yuugi smiled a little. "Tell the truth, Jonouchi."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Awright, I did—but I tell ya, I coulda sworn it was Kaiba settin' it out on me!" He looked around eagerly. "You guys wanna go ride da bumper cars?"

Yuugi and I winced. "No thanks!" we said quickly.

"Dustil forced me to go on that ride over and over," Yuugi explained, "and Sonja didn't want to go anywhere _near_ them with Damien."

I grinned. "I swear, my brother drives worse than Duke… You know him as Otogi," I added quickly.

Jonouchi groaned. "I'm sick just _thinkin'_ about dat!"

I smirked. "Exactly. Besides, I'm hungry!"

Yuugi laughed. "So'm I—and I'm sure you two know where the best concession stands are."

Merekai laughed. "Yeah we do! Come on—you should try this one stand's chocolate-covered waffles!"

_**

* * *

Miriku POV **_

Yami looked around. "Are you _sure_ we're going in the right direction?"

I shrugged. "Not in the least. But who cares? It's a _fair—_last I checked, getting lost wasn't that much of an issue."

"…If you say so…"

"I _know_ so."

Yami continued to look uneasily around as we walked along.

"Come _on,_ Yami, hurry up! I want to get to Arnold Hall! They might have that Egypt shop open!"

Yami sped up. "Egypt shop?"

I nodded. "Yeah—with all kinds of cool stuff!"

Yami grinned a little. "Sounds good. What time is it right now?"

I glanced at my phone—and did a double-take. "_Holy crap!_ It's six forty-five!"

Yami's eyes widened. "_Already!_"

I looked frantically around. "We gotta get back to the entrance!"

"And _you_ said getting lost was nothing to worry about," Yami muttered sourly as we started off.

"Oh, shut up."

**OooO**

"We've already been this way!" Yami exclaimed, looking around. "I _told_ you we had gone in a circle!"

I rolled my eyes. He had been like this for the past five minutes. I was about to tune him out, when—

"Ra, Miriku—do you even listen to what I'm telling you! I swear, sometimes I think you haven't even got a _brain!_"

I stopped. And turned. "In _case_ you hadn't noticed," I said coolly, "_that_ isn't the same kiddie coaster as before. And if you'd bothered to look _up,_ the exit is _right there in front of your damn face._ Now if you don't mind, let's _go._"

Without waiting for a response, I turned and stomped off. _What the hell was that all about!_, my brain was screaming.

I ignored him calling my name. That…had _hurt…_

"Hi," I said shortly to Sonja and Yuugi as we approached. Everyone else was already there, and appeared to have been for a while.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Thanks for being on time," he said sarcastically.

I glared at him. "Shut your hole, tomb robber."

Bakura smirked. "What, am I annoying you?"

"Apparently, you are," Mikey said dryly.

Bakura looked at her. "Listen, you—just because you're my hikari's girlfriend doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do!"

Damien rolled his eyes. "Can we go now, please? The place closes in three minutes, plus I'd like to go home and have dinner."

Ryou nodded. "Yeah—we'll drop you all off."

"Good," I muttered, massaging my head. I was starting to get a major headache.

I noticed people were looking strangely at me, but ignored it. I didn't particularly care.

"_I swear, sometimes I think you haven't even got a brain!"_

That was harsh. _Way_ harsh. I hadn't even done anything. I had _known_ what I was doing. If he had just _asked…_

I barely even realized I was home until I flopped down on the couch, closing my eyes. _Stupid, stuck-up pharaoh…_

I was probably overreacting. But I didn't care. He had just completely downgraded me from human to something less…

* * *

**o.O;; _Someone's_ getting a little angsty...**

**Review, please! Sugar cookies for you all! And here's the song!**

**Ashita Moshi Kimi ga Kowaretemo  
_Even If Tomorrow Dies_**

_Call my name,  
__That voice of someone calling  
The deep sadness of the darkness  
Your pale skin fills me with light..._

_Without knowing if it was black or white  
I wonder if this type of love is old-fashioned?  
For the entire day  
We just waited for the sunrise..._

_Even if you could shatter tomorrow  
I won't run from this place  
It cures the fatigue of my body  
Your smile..._

_Lonely heart,  
Feelings beyond my control  
It's like a wide hole has opened  
Unable to control myself,  
I became angry at something..._

_I can't forget that love--  
That's what you had said when we first met  
Your face hides your true intentions  
Is there any redemption for me?_

_Even if you could shatter tomorrow  
I guess that I'd still keep wandering  
Loving you, I discovered for the first time,  
That fear of losing you..._

_Even if you could shatter tomorrow  
Even if I should lose my sight  
We'll start walking  
In those times, when we were at peace..._

_It's a ghost of you..._


	26. Bad News and Worse News

**Well, that didn't take long!**

**T.T Where are all my reviewers? I only got three!Did I do something wrong? Look! A new chapter's up already! _Please_ come back!

* * *

Bad News and Worse News**

I opened one eye. Someone was tapping on my front door.

I looked at the clock. It was eight thirteen in the morning. I must have fallen asleep on the couch.

Rubbing sleep out of my eyes, I stood up and opened the door a little. "Who is it?" I called grumpily.

"It's your mother."

I started, and pushed the door the rest of the way open. It was, in fact, my mother. She looks like me, but taller—and she has hazel eyes and silver streaks in her hair. "Yes, mom?"

Mom looked me over. "What did you do, fall asleep in your clothes?"

"On the couch," I confirmed. "Did you want me for something?"

Mom nodded. "Actually, yes. In less than a week, we're going to be moving to Chicago. We'll have the same apartment arrangement that we do here."

My eyes widened. "We're _moving!_" I exclaimed, panicked.

Mom sighed. "_Yes,_ Miriku, we're _moving._"

"But—but—" I sputtered. "We _can't_ move! Not _now!_"

"We have to be settled before school starts up again," Mom countered. "Besides—why is there such a problem?"

I froze. "Uh…"

It was at that moment that Yuugi, still under the illusion spell, poked his head out of the hall, rubbing his eyes. "Ano—Miriku? What's wrong?"

Yami also looked out. "Why is there so much noise out here? What's going on?"

Mom stared over my shoulder. "Miriku Hernandez. Who are _they?_"

"Friends," I replied shortly. Yami's appearance had greatly shortened my temper.

Mom raised an eyebrow. "They're _boys._"

I rolled my eyes. "_And?_ Am I not allowed to have males at my apartment?"

Mom sighed. "That's not the point. The point is that, if they're staying with you, you need to find them somewhere else to stay. You are moving with us in four days. Now, go back to bed—I know how you don't like to get up before eleven." She pulled the door shut.

I stared at the door for a few minutes. I could feel Yuugi and Yami staring at my back. A million things were racing through my head. Most prominent of which was; _We're moving in three days? But what about the YuGiOh people?_

Yuugi touched my arm. "Miriku…does this mean we'll have to go home soon?"

I nodded, brain numb. "Yeah…we'll have to figure out how to get you all home. Within the next three days…"

Yuugi glanced worriedly at Yami. "That's not good…"

"No, it's not," I replied grimly, before yawning widely. "Nng…I think I'm going to go back to sleep, in my own room. Don't bug me until eleven." This last was directed to Yami. I was still very ticked at him.

I marched off to my room, flopped down onto my bed—and was asleep in seconds.

* * *

"Miriku…"

I rolled over. "Go 'way…

"Miriku-aneki, wake up! It's eleven fifteen!"

I sighed, opening my eyes. "Fine, I'm up—now go away so I can get dressed."

Yuugi nodded. "All right." He exited my room, shutting the door.

I changed into a blue T-shirt and jeans, tying the bandanna around my hair. My thoughts kept turning to Yami. _Jerk…_ But that thought was only half-hearted. I just felt stupid now. He had just been worried—he probably hadn't even been thinking when he said that.

I exited the room and went to the kitchen, looking around. "Hey Yuugi—where's Yami?"

Yuugi shrugged. "Probably still asleep."

I blinked. "Uh—he's _never_ still asleep at this hour."

Yuugi shrugged again. "We went to a fair yesterday. Lots of walking around and such."

"But you—"

"_I'm_ smaller than him," Yuugi countered. "Now go check on him while I finish the bacon."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I trotted over to Yami's room and opened the door. "Hey, Yami! Rise and shine, starfish-head!"

No answer. I wrinkled my nose. "All right, you lazy pharaoh, get your butt out of bed before I call the tomb robber on your butt!"

_Still_ no answer. Ticked off, I marched up to the bed and yanked back the covers.

He wasn't even there.

"Aww, _shit!_" I exclaimed.

I ran out into the kitchen. "_Yugi!_ Yami's gone!"

Yuugi's eyes widened, and he whipped around. "_What?_"

"It's true! He's not in his bed! Or anywhere in the apartment!"

Yuugi's eyes filled with worry. "Where could he have gone!"

I shook my head. "I don't know…"

_**

* * *

Mikey POV**_

I jumped as someone rang the doorbell. A bit confused, I answered it.

Yami stood there, wiping sweat off his forehead and brushing the illusionary red bangs back from his face. "Mikey!" he gasped.

I grabbed his wrist and yanked him inside. "What are you doing here!" I hissed as soon as the door shut.

Yami shook his head. "Please let me stay here," he panted. "Don't tell the others I'm here!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Why?"

Yami shook his head again. "Just don't tell!"

I sighed. "If you really think it's best… Fine. But you need to tell me everything. _Including_ why you decided you'd rather stay here secretly with me."

At that moment, the phone rang. I put in on speaker. "Labrador residence."

"_Mikey!_ You need to get over to my apartment, _pronto!_"

I blinked. "Miriku?"

"Naw, ya _think?_" There was panic and irritation in her voice. "I'm serious, Mikey—_get over here right now!_ This is urgent!"

"What happened?" I asked, rising to my feet. "What's wrong?"

"There's no time to explain right now! I need to call the others! Just get over here!" There was a click as she hung up.

I stared at the phone, and then at Yami. "You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"

"Doubt it," Yami muttered bitterly. "She probably isn't even thinking about me."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I'll explain later," he said, making a shooing motion with his hands. "Go see what's so urgent. I'm not going anywhere."

I sighed. "Fine."

On impulse, I grabbed my mini-recording-tape thing before heading out the door. I had the feeling that Yami might need to hear this anyway, even if he didn't want to be there in person.

* * *

**_Miriku POV_**

"I've got bad news, and worse news." I nervously laced my fingers behind my back as an interested murmur went through the room.

"Bad news first," Terra said firmly.

I sighed. "All right. I'm moving. In four days. To the Chicago area."

John gawked. "_Four days!_"

Terra also gawked. "_Chicago!_"

"That means we only have _three days_ to figure out how to send everyone back!" Merekai exclaimed.

"That's hardly any time at all!" Dustil protested loudly, Dean nodding in agreement.

Sonja closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them again. "What's the worse news?" she asked apprehensively.

I took a deep breath. "It's Yami. He's gone missing."

Everyone sat bolt upright. "You're kidding!" Malik exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the fact that Marik was clinging to his arm.

"She's not kidding," Yuugi said softly. He had been quiet this whole time—everyone's attention snapped to him as he spoke. His face was slightly pale, and worry had completely filled his eyes. "He just—disappeared."

Ryou raised a hand to his forehead. "Kami-sama," he murmured in a shocked tone.

Jonouchi sat back on the couch. "I can' believe it," he said weakly. "Ya mean ta tell me he just _walked out_ on ya? But dat just isn't _like _'im!"

"Well, he did," I said grimly.

Damien shook his head. "Idiotic pharaoh," he muttered.

"That's what I've been trying to say for years," Kaiba said patiently.

Terra elbowed him so hard he doubled over. "Shut _up,_ Kaiba!"

Kaiba complied—but that may have just been because Terra had winded him.

I noticed a very thoughtful expression on Mikey's face. "Do you have any idea why he might have run off?" she asked.

"None whatsoever," I moaned, sinking down onto the couch. "The last time I saw him was this morning at around eight thirty, when my mom came to tell me about the big move."

Terra tapped her forehead. "This is gonna need some time for thinking about."

"Yeah—time we _don't have!_" My voice was shrill with panic. "We have _three days,_ Terra! _Three days!_ _And_ we have to find out how to get the others home—_and_ figure out what to do with Kimiru, Derama, and Kemisi! There's just _not enough time!_"

Bakura walked up and grabbed my shoulders. "Miriku, _calm down!_" he snarled. "We're _gonna_ find the bloody pharaoh!"

I glared at Bakura, before pushing him away. "_How?_" I asked weakly, staring at my hands. "Tell me _that,_ Bakura. _How are we going to find him in three days with everything else we have to do?_"

"We'll find a way," Sam said quietly.

Sonja placed a hand on my shoulder. "You feel guilty, don't you?" There was sympathy in her voice.

I nodded. "I was acting like such an idiot…it must be my fault…" I could barely keep myself from breaking out into tears. Now, because of my stupidity, he had run away—and we didn't have enough time to find him.

"We have to figure out how to get them home first," I murmured. "And then…"

"We _will_ find out where he went," Dean said firmly.

"Yeah…"

I looked up. "Everyone, go ahead and go home. I need to study this spell book, and talk to Kimiru. I'm sure one of the two will have some answers."

"Kemisi might help out, too." Terra yanked on Kaiba's wrist. "Let's go."

Doubt crossed Sam's face. "I dunno if Derama'll help, but it's worth a shot…"

In a few minutes, everyone had gone except myself and Yuugi. He looked at me, face pinched with worry. "I'm not going home without him."

I sighed, massaging my temples. "I know…I want to find him, too…but we have to figure out how to get you all home first. That's the top priority right now…"

_**

* * *

Mikey POV**_

As I reached out to open my front door, I considered telling Yami the whole thing—but decided against it. After all, I needed to see if Miriku was right.

"So…?" Yami said as I walked in and shut the door.

I shook my head. "Miriku's moving away in four days. We have three to get you guys home."

Yami rolled his eyes. "I already knew that. She didn't say anything else?"

I shook my head. "Nothing." He sank back onto the couch with a groan.

I sat next to him. "Why did you run away?"

He shook his head. "She doesn't care," he said softly. "I thought she cared how I felt…but she's been so cold…she yelled at me yesterday…and she was ordering me around this morning. I just can't bear it any more…"

_So Miriku was right. Her being a jerk drove him away…_

I put a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be all right. I'm sure she just wasn't paying attention to what she was saying, and will miss you before the days is over."

"I doubt it," Yami muttered bitterly, before standing up and heading for the kitchen.

As soon as he was gone, I collapsed back onto the couch with a sigh. Why was I lying? Miriku was in a state of panic, and I was telling Yami she'd forgotten him!

Something was telling me I should. That I should let Yami cool off for a while, and _then_ bring him back. It just seemed like the best thing to do.

_I just hope it **is** the best thing…

* * *

_

**Ouchies...hehehe.**

**REVIEW this time please, people!**


	27. The Solution

**Hullo, guys! Sorry, I would have had these two chapters out earlier, but the site was down...

* * *

The Solution**

_**Miriku POV**_

_**/Kimiru!**_

_/I was listening._

_**/If you have any ideas as to how we can get them back, tell me pronto—I want to get searching for Yami as soon as possible!**_

_/I don't know…_

I sighed, banging my head lightly against the wall of my room. **_/Well, we need to figure it out—fast! If Yami gets out of town, we'll never find him! We'll have enough trouble finding him _in_ town!_**

Kimiru phased out next to me, and touched my arm. "We _will_ find him," she said quietly, "but not if you're so panicked you can't focus. Calm down. We can think this out."

"I hope so," I murmured, sitting down on the bed.

_**

* * *

Sam POV**_

_**/C'mon, Derama, help me out here!**_

I could hear Derama's sniggers. _/Why? What does it matter to me that the pharaoh abandoned his girlfriend?_

I clenched my fists. **_/Are you always such a jerk?_**

_/Yup. And there's nothing you can do about it, so don't try._

I groaned. **_/'Kay, so you don't care that Yami's gone. Any ideas as to how to get all the chara-guys back home?_**

_/None whatsoever. And I wouldn't tell you if I knew._

**_/Oh, _you're_ helpful._**

_/Thank you, I try._

I groaned again, lying back on my bed. As usual, Derama was being stubborn—I could only hope that Miriku and Terra were having more luck than me.

_**

* * *

Terra POV**_

_/…I might have **one** idea…_

I immediately brightened. **_/What is it?_**

I sensed Kemisi shaking her head. _/My sisters aren't going to like it much…_

_**/Run it by me.**_

_/Well… I think that if all three of us combine our powers, we can open a time-space warp portal and get them all back home. But we have to cooperate…and you've seen Kimiru and Derama. They hate each other._

**_/…Good point._** I sighed. **_/Well, it's our only idea. We should tell Miriku and Sam._**

Kemisi sighed. _/And hope that Kimiru and Derama don't kill me for suggesting it…_

_**/How are they going to kill you? You're a spirit!**_

_/…_

I grinned, heading out into the living room. I dialed Miriku's number first. "Hey! Miriku!"

"Yeah, Terra?" Miriku answered tiredly.

"We've got an idea to get them home!"

"Really?" Miriku immediately sounded brighter. "What is it? Tell me!"

My grin widened. "Kemisi thinks that if she and her sisters combine their powers, they'll be able to open a portal back to the anime world."

I could almost see Miriku pump her fist in the air. "That's great! I was about to look in the spell book—maybe it can help with your theory!"

"Awesome!" I clicked my nails against the receiver. "We'll have this case cracked in no time at all!"

"And _then_ we can look for Yami."

I smiled a little. "Yeah. _Then_ we can look for Yami. See ya?"

"See ya."

_Click._

I stared at the phone for a minute, before hanging it up. "She's so single-minded," I muttered, still smiling.

Kaiba, who was just coming down the stairs, raised an eyebrow. "Is she still going on about the pharaoh?"

"Yup."

Kaiba sighed. "You'd think she couldn't live without him around."

I thought for a moment. "Hmm… Now that you mention it, she _did_ seem a lot happier ever since they showed up…"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Please."

"Well, _you_ aren't much help!" I snapped, my good mood quickly going down the drain. "It's a good thing _you're_ not the one who ended up staying with her, or she probably would have _killed_ you by now!"

Kaiba raised his eyebrow again. "And you care…because?"

I blinked. "Uh…"

"Forget I asked."

"…Ookay…"

He smirked. "Well, I'm going back up to the computer."

"Whatever."

I watched him go, and flumped onto the couch with a sigh. Tough question—why _did_ I care?

_**

* * *

Miriku POV**_

I flipped through the spell book. There had to be _something_ in there that I could use!

_/…Isn't there a table of contents?_

I blinked, before flipping back to the front. Sure enough, there was a listing of all the spells in the book.

_/Told you._

_**/Oh, shut up.**_

I scanned the spells starting from the listing of page 245, which was where I had stopped. There were all kinds of spells, but nothing I could use.

Until— 

_Aha! A portal spell! Just what I needed!_

I flipped through to the page I wanted and eagerly began to read the spell. It was perfect—as long as I had at least three outside power sources working in cooperation with the power of the book itself, I could open a portal to any dimension.

Including the anime realm.

I leapt to my feet and ran out the door. "Yuugi! _Yuugi!_"

Yuugi looked up. "What is it?"

I grinned, patting the spell book. "We've figured out how to get you guys home!"

Yuugi's eyes brightened. "Does that mean we can go look for Yami now?"

I grinned. "Bingo."

Kimiru phased out, tapping her foot. "Don't you think you should inform your friends first?"

I blinked. "Oh…uh…right…"

* * *

**_Sam POV_**

"_WHAT?_"

I winced. "Kemisi _said_ you wouldn't like it…"

Derama glared at me, before returning to her restless prowling of the living room. "Damn straight, I don't like it! I am not going anywhere _near_ Kimiru—_or_ Kemisi! Cooperation, my tail!"

I groaned. "Can't you think of somethin' _besides_ hate for once? I mean, if you three don't work together, none of the anime guys'll ever get back home!"

"Do I look like I _care?_" Derama spat. "I'm _not_ working with my sisters, and that's _final!_"

I rolled my eyes. "Can't you at least _think_ about it, Dera?"

Derama whirled to face me. Her eyes were on fire. "_DON'T—YOU—EVER—CALL—ME—THAT—AGAIN!_"

I winced. "Okay, okay! I won't!"

Derama glared at me for another moment or so, before disappearing.

I sighed, massaging my temples. _This'll **never** work…how are we gonna get Derama and Kimiru to work with each other when they hate each other's guts?_

* * *

**_Miriku POV_**

"How in the seven hells are we going to get them to work together when they hate each other's guts?"

I shrugged—and then remembered that I was on the phone. "_I'm_ supposed to know? Look, it's the only idea we have, and in case you've forgotten, we're on a tight schedule."

I could just see Bakura rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine, I'll tell John."

"And then get your butts over here so we can start searching."

"Whatever."

_Click._

I hung up the phone. "Well, that's everyone…"

Yuugi looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, staring off into space. "So we can look for Yami now?" he asked hopefully.

I sighed. "We have to wait for our search party to show up first."

Yuugi flopped back against the couch, sighing. "We have to find him soon…I'm so worried… What if…?"

I shook my head, sitting down next to him. "Don't think like that, Yuugi. We'll find him. I _know_ we'll find him. And he'll be just fine when we do. You just wait and see."

The confidence in my voice belied my worry. What if we _didn't_ find Yami? Or, what if we _did,_ and…

_/Stop it, Miriku._

/I can't help it! It's my fault he's gone—and if something happens to him—

_/He's the **pharaoh.** He'll manage on his own. He's done so before._

Yuugi put a hand on my shoulder. "Miriku-aneki. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's not going to get him back any faster."

I grinned ruefully. "You're right…I _really_ need to focus…"

"And once you've focused, we can get out there and get looking."

I jumped, and looked behind me. Everyone was there—they had walked in without us noticing.

Sonja smiled. It was her that had been talking. "Well? You two ready to look?"

Yuugi rose to his feet, smiling back. "Hai. We're ready."

Dustil began to jump up and down. "Then let's go!"

Damien grabbed his shoulders. "Calm down, midget! We're getting there!"

Dustil made a face. "I'm not a midget!"

Bakura smirked. "Oh, aren't you? You're not even taller than the runt over there!" He jerked his thumb at Yuugi.

Yuugi crossed his arms. "I'm not a runt!"

Malik sniggered. "Right. You just keep telling yourself that, Yuugi."

Marik poked him. "Be nice."

"Why?"

Marik stuck her tongue out at him.

Bakura stared at them for a moment. Marik was clinging to Malik's arm, but the gravekeeper didn't even seem to notice. "Uh, what's with you not running away from her?"

Malik shrugged. "I've gotten used to her." He smiled a little at Marik, who batted her eyelashes.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Mushy stuff. Gag me."

John sniggered. "Then why do you have your arm around Sam's shoulders?"

Bakura blinked, and whipped his arm away, grumbling something under his breath. Sam blushed scarlet, edging away.

I laughed. "Well, what do you guys say about getting started?"

"I say that's a good idea," Mikey said firmly.

Jonouchi grinned. "Then what're we waitin' for? Let's get goin'!"

**

* * *

With a groan, I collapsed back onto the couch. We had been all over every part of town, and we _still_ hadn't found him.**With a groan, I collapsed back onto the couch. We had been all over every part of town, and we hadn't found him. 

_Yami…_

Yuugi, who had followed me at a slightly slower pace, looked at me with sad eyes. "He's gone…"

I bowed my head. "I know…and I know it's my fault…"

I could barely keep myself from collapsing into tears. We didn't find him then; we never would.

"We can't stop preparing for you guys to go home," I said softly, rubbing my eyes. "If we don't get it done, we never will. And if Yami's really gone…"

"He can't be…" Yuugi sounded like he was about to cry. "He's out there…somewhere…"

Suddenly, I looked up. Hope rose in my chest. "Of course! Why didn't I think about it before! Yuugi, use your mind link! Call to him!"

"I've already tried. All I get is a static sound…" He closed his eyes. "He must really be mad at you…"

My heart sank. "Or…"

Yuugi's eyes snapped open. "_No!_" he hollered, clenching his fists. "I'm _not_ going to think like that! He's _not_ dead, I just _know_ it!"

"If he were still here," I said softly, "he'd have gone to one of the others for shelter, and they would have told me something."

Yuugi gripped my shoulder. "So you're giving up." The tears were in his voice again. "Just because all your ideas have been used, you're giving up on him."

Slowly, I shook my head. "I just don't know what to do…"

Yuugi's grip tightened. "Whatever it is, we _won't_ give up."

I smiled a little. "Right…never give up…"

I yawned, and looked at the clock. "It's getting late…we need to get to bed." I stood up and headed for my room. "G'night…"

Yuugi smiled a little. "Good night, Miriku-aneki."

I shut the door, and collapsed onto my bed, letting the barely contained tears stream onto my pillow. I knew that, even if he _was_ still here, he wouldn't come back. I had chased him away for good…

* * *

**o.O;;...**

**I got peanut butter cookies! Review, please!**


	28. Trials and TestRuns

**Trials and Test-Runs**

"Miriku…come on, wake _up!_"

My eyes snapped open. Sonja was standing there, shaking my shoulder. "Get out of bed, lazy-butt! It's three o'clock!"

I sat bolt upright. "_Three o'clock!_ But—that means I've been asleep half the day! We lost so much time! Why didn't Yuugi wake me up!"

"Because he thought you needed your rest," Sonja said firmly, yanking back the sheets. "Now get your butt out of bed and get dressed. We need to get the spell down pat today."

I blinked. "But what about—"

"Let it lie," Sonja said firmly. Her eyes were a little sad. "He's gone. He's not coming back. You have to let him go."

"But—"

"_No,_" she said forcefully. "Get up. Don't waste any more time. I'll give you some privacy—but no using it to sit around and mope. We're on a time limit, remember."

She shut the door. I stared off into space for a few moments, before getting out of bed and dressing in an outfit similar to the one I had worn yesterday. But this time, I also went through my odd-and-ends drawer. It contained all kinds of sewing and patchwork supplies. From it I pulled a long piece of black silk that was about six inches wide. Folding in long-wise in half, I tied it around my arm, just above my elbow. Even double-knotted, the ends brushed at my hips. "I'm letting you go," I whispered to the air.

Exiting my room, I saw that everyone was there, waiting. I saw how their eyes went to the armband. "What are you all looking at?" I said tiredly.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "What's with the black armband?"

I smiled bitterly. "'If you love it, set it free. If it returns, 'twas meant to be.' I'm letting him go."

Sonja patted my shoulder, smiling sadly. "That's the best thing you could have done, Miri."

I sighed. "I just wish we could have done more…"

Terra rose to her feet. "There's no time to sit around and think of what we could have done. Kimiru, Derama, and Kemisi need to start working. And so do you."

I pulled the spell book out of my pocket. "I guess you're right. I've been wasting so much time…"

I flipped open the book to the marked page. "Kimiru. Derama. Kemisi. Get out here."

They came—Derama slower than her sisters. She was obviously reluctant. "Why do you need _my_ help?" she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Because we have to have three other sources of power," I snapped, "and they can't come from the people who are going to be _using_ the portal."

Derama rolled her eyes. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

Carefully, I read through the spell book. "Let's see… All outside power sources must be similar, or connected to each other in some way. Well, you three are sisters, so that's good enough. Outside sources must be in contact with each other." I looked up. "You three are gonna have to hold hands."

Miriku and Kemisi took each other's hands, and looked expectantly at Derama. Dera sighed, clenching the two other girls' hands so tight that they winced.

"Now, this'll be a test reading," I said, motioning for the others to stand back. "I'm going to read the entire spell, _except_ the word that releases the magic. You three need to combine _all_ your power. _Don't hold back._ Got it?"

Derama growled. "Fine, whatever. Just get on with it."

I rolled my eyes, and began to read. The words were much harder to say than the ones for casting the illusions, seeing as how it was a much more advanced spell. But I managed. Motes of light swirled and danced in the center of the circle made by the sisters. The three of them began to glow with a soft golden light, as did the book. There was a sense of unwrapping—

And suddenly, something went wrong. Derama's eyes focused on something—and the sense of gentle unweaving was gone, replaced by vigorous ripping of the fabric of space.

I cut off the spell, and glared at Derama, panting. "What the _hell_ did you do!"

Derama shrugged, unfazed. "You were taking too long. I took matters into my own hands. Besides, I've had enough of this little _let's all share and pretend we love each other_ act."

Bakura swiped with his hand, swearing as it passed right through her. "Bakayarou! We _all_ need to get home!"

Malik rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Bakura." He looked pointedly at Derama. "_You_ need to stop playing the arrogant bitch and cooperate."

John sniggered. "Yeah—look at what being an arrogant bastard did to Kaiba!"

Kaiba deathglared him. "Say that again."

"You're an arrogant bastard. I can say it a third time, if you want."

Terra punched him in the arm. "Shut up, John."

John yelped, and glared at her, gingerly touching his arm. "Hey, it's not _my_ fault you like him!"

Terra gaped at him, fists clenching. "Do not!"

Bakura smirked. "Do too."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Ya'd think we was on some sitcom, instead a' Miriku's livin' room," he muttered.

Sonja grinned ruefully. "Ain't that the truth."

I sighed. "Derama, you need to be patient. _Pa-tient._ Ever heard of that word?"

Derama sniggered. "Yes. But I don't feel like being patient."

Kemisi sweatdropped, and poked her shoulder. "You _do_ know that you're basically sabotaging Bakura, right?"

Derama glared at her. "Touch me again and you're dead."

"I'm _already_ dead, stupid."

Derama's arm whipped around, and Kemisi staggered back, a red mark forming on her cheek. "But I can still hurt you, stupid." She pulled back for another punch.

Kimiru grabbed Derama's wrists. "That is _enough,_ Derama!" she snapped.

Derama rolled her eyes. "Weakling," she spat, ripping free and landing the punch on Kimiru's cheek.

I made to step forward—but Damien grabbed my shoulder. "This is between the three of them."

Kimiru didn't even flinch, staying right where she was. "Derama, you have to stop doing this! You have to work _with_ us, not _against_ us!"

Derama punched her again. "Why? You two are nothing but pathetic wimps!"

Kimiru still didn't move, although there were bruises on both of her cheeks. "There shouldn't have to be a reason."

Derama's response was to land a punch in Kimiru's gut. Kimiru doubled over, wincing—but slowly straightened, staring defiantly into Derama's eyes.

Derama shrieked, raining punches on Kimiru. "_Why—won't—you—just—give—up—and—get—out—of—my—way!_"

Kimiru didn't straighten this time—but she still didn't move. Her breath was ragged, and she spoke very softly. "Because…I know…my sister…the sister I knew…is still in there…somewhere…"

Kemisi slid her arm around Kimiru's shoulders, helping her stand up. When she looked at Derama, her eyes were sad. "You're a monster. Look at what you've done—and to your own sister."

Kimiru raised her head a little. "I swore…I'd find my sister again…no matter…what it took…even if it meant…I had to pretend…to hate her…"

Derama didn't answer. She just stood there for a while, eyes shaded by her bangs. Her ears and tail drooped.

"Kimiru…" she whispered. "Kemisi…"

Kemisi extended her free arm. "Derama…"

Kimiru smiled a little. "Dera…"

Derama looked up at them. "How can you accept me any more?" she asked softly. "I killed you, Kemisi…and then you, Kimiru…"

Kimiru shook her head. "All in the past."

Kemisi nodded. "We can forgive you…but can you forgive yourself?"

Derama closed her eyes. She reached out, brushing her fingers against Kimiru's. "I can…"

Kimiru beamed. "Welcome back, Derama."

Dustil began to cheer at the top of his lungs. Soon, pretty much the whole room was cheering and clapping for the half-laughing, half-crying sisters. In all the noise and joy, I could almost forget the missing presence.

_Almost._

I finally raised my voice over the loud talking. "So, shall we try our test run again?"

**

* * *

__****Mikey POV**

It was nine thirty when I got home. The four of them—Miriku, Kimiru, Derama, and Kemisi—had practiced and practiced, with us giving helpful tips and encouragement on the side.

When I went inside, it seemed like Yami hadn't moved from where I'd left him at two forty-seven. He was still sprawled out on the couch, staring with half-lidded eyes at the ceiling.

"I made dinner," he said as I approached. "Hope you like barely stew."

I sighed. This had gone on long enough. "Yami. You have to go back."

"No."

There was no emotion in his voice. No anger. No sadness. No pain. Just…nothing.

I felt like hitting him. He was being such an idiot… "Listen to me. You _have_ to. They're opening the portal tomorrow. You'll need to go so you can get back home."

"No," Yami repeated. "I'm not going anywhere near her."

I clenched my fists. "Why must you be so stubborn!"

Yami opened his eyes and just looked at me. I recoiled—they were as empty as his voice.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my mini-recording machine and chucked it at Yami. "Listen to that," I said crossly. "And go into your own room while you're at it."

I stormed off to the kitchen, fuming. Behind me, I heard Yami rise to his feet and walk up the stairs—all absolutely silently.

_What are you doing, Mikey! Why are you being so rude!_

I couldn't help it. He was just getting on my nerves. The silence, the lazing around, the lack of emotion…it was just plain creepy.

_But it'll turn out all right…_

**

* * *

__****Yami POV**

How long I lay there just staring at the small machine, I don't know. Finally I reached out and set it to 'play all recordings'.

There was one beep as recording one started. There was a minor uproar in the background, and then a shrill voice.

"_Yeah—time we **don't have!** We have **three days,** Terra! **Three days!** **And** we have to find out how to get the others home—**and** figure out what to do with Kimiru, Derama, and Kemisi! There's just **not enough time!**_

I blinked. _That sounds like—_

"_Miriku, **calm down!** We're **gonna** find the bloody pharaoh!"_

"_**How?** Tell me **that,** Bakura. **How are we going to find him in three days with everything else we have to do?**"_

"_We'll find a way."_

"_I was acting like such an idiot…it must be my fault…"_

There was a slight click as the recording ended. I hit the pause button, and sat there for a few moments, staring off into space. Was this true? Could it be?

Slowly, I reached out and hit 'play'. It beeped twice.

"_Miriku-aneki. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's not going to get him back any faster."_

"_You're right…I **really** need to focus…"_

"_And once you've focused, we can get out there and get looking."_

_**Click.**_

_**Beep…beep…beep…**_

"_What's with the black armband?"_

"'_If you love it, set it free. If it returns, 'twas meant to be.' I'm letting him go…"_

"_That's the best thing you could have done, Miri."_

_Sigh. "I just wish we could have done more…"_

_**Click.**_

Apparently, there were no more recordings. But those three were enough to set my mind reeling. Miriku. She really was sorry. And I had abandoned her…

_Tomorrow. I'll fix everything tomorrow…_

_I just hope it's not too late for me…_


	29. Homecoming

**o.O; Now _this_ is a long chapter... Oh well.

* * *

Homecoming **

_**Miriku POV**_

The next morning, I woke up at seven o'clock and couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't even feel tired.

Today was the day. The last day. The day of farewells…

We had it all planned out. Everyone who knew about the characters as _characters_ were coming to see them off. Then, I would cast a forgetfulness spell on everyone—and we would all think that we were in my apartment for a goodbye party for me.

I dressed quickly and exited my room, remembering to tie the silk around my arm. Being careful not to wake the still-sleeping Yugi, I began to set up all the decorations and such that would lend to the guise of a farewell party.

Even though my hands were busy, my mind was still idle—and so it drifted to Yami.

_If I **don't** see him today, there's not chance of me ever seeing him again. If I **do** see him, it'll only be until he goes back to his own world, and I'll never see him again anyway. It's a lose-lose situation…_

_/Stop it, Miriku._

_**/Why? It's the truth.**_

_/That doesn't mean you have to face it so grimly. Find a bright side._

I stopped moving. **_/Kimiru. There _is_ no bright side. After today, I'll be alone. All the characters will be home. You, Derama, and Kemisi will be gone. And all my other friends will be here, while I'm stuck moving cross-country. Tell me the bright side in this situation._**

_/…_

_**/Exactly.**_

I reached up to tape a large banner reading 'Goodbye and Good Luck!' to the wall, and paused for a second, fighting back tears. _Come on, Miriku. You have to toughen up…_

_**

* * *

Mikey POV **_

I had just woken up and was going around the house collecting everything I needed to bring for the party, when I suddenly realized something was missing.

I hadn't seen Yami anywhere.

I ran up to his room and pushed open the door. He wasn't there. Neither was he in any other room in the house.

"Crud," I whispered, clapping a hand to my forehead. Now there was no hope at all. If he had run off for good…

But there was no time for me to dwell on it. I had to get everything prepared before Ryou showed up with Merekai's family's van.

_Ryou…_

There was a knock on the door. I heard a muffled voice calling my name.

Opening the door, I saw it was Merekai. "Come on, Mikey! You're our first stop! We're dropping everyone off house by house, so it won't get really crowded."

I nodded, sliding the cake into the back of the van before climbing in myself. "Go ahead. I'm ready."

**

* * *

__****Miriku POV**

By eight o'clock, Yuugi had woken up and was helping me with the decorations. This was when someone knocked on my door.

I opened it, and backed up as Mikey walked in with a large cake in her arms. "Good morning, Miriku! I thought you'd still be asleep!"

I shook my head. "I couldn't get to sleep last night."

Mikey shrugged. She went to help Yuugi, humming something under her breath.

I blinked. It sounded familiar. "Hey, Mikey? What're you singing?"

Mikey blinked at me, and blushed a little. "Uh…well, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was on last night, and I haven't seen it since I was five, sooo…" She grinned sheepishly. "And now I've got that song stuck in my head."

I grinned. "The Chitty song?"

Mikey nodded.

I couldn't help it. I began to sing the song. And Mikey joined in.

"_Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!_

_Oh, you,  
__Pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you—  
__And, in,  
__Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, what we'll do!  
__Near, far, in our motor car,  
__Oh what a happy time we'll spend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend!_"

And suddenly, Terra's voice from behind us joined in as we sang the next verse—which was the whole fist one again.

"_Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!_

_Oh, you,  
__Pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you—  
__And, in,  
__Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, what we'll do!  
__Near, far, in our motor car,  
__Oh what a happy time we'll spend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend!_

_You're sleek as a thoroughbred,  
__Your seats are a featherbed,  
__You'll turn everybody's head today—  
__We'll glide on out motor trip  
__With pride in our ownership,  
__The envy of all we survey!_"

As more and more people arrived, more and more joined in. Even Jane and Terrence, when they showed up, began singing. The whole apartment vibrated with the sounds of clapping hands, stomping feet—and of course, the words to the song. It was such a childish one—but it was one everyone recognized.

"_Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!_

_Oh, you,  
__Pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you—  
__And, our,  
__Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, loves us too!  
__High, low, anywhere we go,  
__On Chitty Chitty we depend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend!_

_You're sleek as a thoroughbred,  
__Your seats are a featherbed,  
__You'll turn everybody's head today—  
__We'll glide on out motor trip  
__With pride in our ownership,  
__The envy of all we survey!_

_Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!_

_Oh, you,  
__Pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you—  
__And, our,  
__Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, loves us too!  
__High, low, anywhere we go,  
__On Chitty Chitty we depend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend!_

_It's uncategorical,  
__A fuel-burning oracle,  
__A fantasmagorical machine—  
__It's more than spectacular,  
__To use the vernacular,  
__It's wizard; it's smashing; it's keen!_

_Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  
__Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!_"

Right before the final verse, Sonja touched my arm. "I need to talk to you," she whispered, drawing me towards the door. I muttered the words to kill the illusion spell, and followed her.

"_Oh Chitty, you Chitty,  
__Pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you—  
__And Chitty, our Chitty,  
__Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, loves us too!  
__High Chitty, low Chitty, anywhere we go,  
__On Chitty Chitty we depend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend—  
__Bang bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our fine four-fendered friend!  
__(Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)  
__Fine four-fendered Chitty Chitty friend!_"

**

* * *

__****Yami POV**

As I approached Miriku's apartment, I was rather surprised at the level of noise erupting from it. It sounded like people were singing raucously. Most of them were off-key. It was a song from the movie Mikey had been watching last night—I recognized the basic tune.

Suddenly, the illusion around me died. I was very glad this floor was empty.

As quietly as I could, I crept up to the door—and heard soft voices. I pressed my ear up to the wood.

"It's a good thing you're doing by letting him go," Sonja was saying.

"But I haven't, really," Miriku answered. "There's no way I'll have completely let him go. The pain isn't gone. It's just…numbed."

I could just see Sonja raising her eyebrows. "Okay…and what is with all the singing?"

"Release, I guess," was Miriku's reply. "I needed something happy…and this is such a simple, silly song…"

"Ah."

The song ended in a round of cheers and claps. I heard Terrance over the other noise, asking when he could have some cake, and Sonja yelling at him to "Get down from that table before you fall and break something!"

There was a slight push on the other side of the door, and a quiet sigh from Miriku. "Stupid boys…" she whispered, moving away.

I couldn't stand to wait any longer. I tapped quietly on the door.

**

* * *

__****Miriku POV**

Suddenly, Sam looked up. "Everyone, hush!" she called.

All noise ceased, save for a few mutterings. Sam cocked her head, listening.

There was a soft tapping noise from the door.

Yuugi looked around, counting heads. "Everyone's here. Who could it be?"

I shrugged, threading my way over to the door. "I suppose we'll find out, won't we?" I opened the door a crack.

And froze.

I could feel my eyes widening. I was completely paralyzed. My brain was racing in circles.

Yami was standing right there. He was holding a single white rose in his hand.

"Come on, Miriku-aneki—we want to see who it is!" Yuugi pulled the door open all the way. I didn't even move to stop him.

Behind me, there was absolute silence.

"Sumimasen," Yami murmured softly, averting his eyes and holding out the rose. "I'm so sorry…"

Everyone was looking at me. I could feel it. But I was still completely frozen. My mind was pretty much blank.

Yami kept his head down. "If you don't forgive me, I understand…but at least let me come in so I can go home…"

I moved out of the way, automatically stepping backwards. Yami walked in, not looking at anyone.

Damien was the first to move. He stepped forward, and punched Yami in the stomach. "That was for abandoning us."

Ignoring Sonja's gasp, he punched Yami again—in the cheek. "And _that_ was for abandoning _her._" He crossed his arms. "I'm done now."

Yami didn't say anything. Half doubled over in pain, he moved to Yuugi's side.

There was silence for a while longer.

Terrance stood up on the table again. "Why're we all bein' so quiet? We're supposed to be having a _party,_ here!" He hit the 'play' button on the boombox he'd brought. The sounds of the 93 Rock station pounded at full volume through the room. There was a resounding cheer, and then the party _really_ began.

The whole time, I tried to get to Yami. But it seemed he was deliberately avoiding me.

After about half an hour, Terra twisted the dial. The volume dropped dramatically, and everyone stared at her.

Her face was set. "I think it's just about time." She looked around. "Time for goodbyes. And then…" She didn't need to say any more, turning the volume up to about half its original volume.

I sat down on the couch, watching as the boys circulated throughout the room, giving their farewells. I noticed that Yami was still avoiding me.

He wasn't even going to say goodbye to me.

I looked around, trying to get my mind off of him. I saw Malik stroking Marik's black/red hair, attempting to comfort her. Bakura had his arm around Sam's shoulder again, and was whispering things that made her jump back and forth from beaming to blushing. But I saw that some people had disappeared. Terra, Mikey, Ryou, and Kaiba were all MIA.

_Private goodbyes, I suppose…_

I nearly laughed out loud at the kind of 'private goodbye' Kaiba would give Terra—most likely a huge rant. And Terra would rant right back.

_I wouldn't mind getting ranted at right now by Yami. At least he would be talking to me…_

**

* * *

__****Terra POV**

"Cooper. Be quiet. Don't attract any attention. Follow me."

I raised my eyebrows, but followed Kaiba as he slipped into the hall and then into Miriku's guest room. He let me in first.

I whipped around when I heard him locking the door. "Kaiba, what the hell are you doing?"

Kaiba didn't face me, one hand still resting on the doorknob. His bangs shaded his eyes. "Terra," he murmured softly.

I blinked. Kaiba _never_ called me by my first name. It was always 'Cooper' this and 'Cooper' that.

_/Oh, come **on**, Terra. You know you've wanted him to acknowledge you for ages._

**_/Have not!_** I protested—but only half-heartedly. It was true. Weird, definitely—but true all the same.

Kaiba glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "Everything I've said to you…degrading things…I apologize…"

I smiled a little. "It's all right, Kaiba…Seto."

Kaiba blinked at me. My smile widened. "You use my first name, I use yours."

Kaiba smiled, too. It was a real smile—one that reached his eyes, warming them.

I grinned. "You look a lot better when you smile. You should do that more often."

Kaiba closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Terra. There's something I've been debating telling you for a while…ever since the sleepover, in fact…"

I put a hand on his wrist. "I think I know," I said quietly.

He opened his eyes. His smile became lopsided. "Really? Then you know how hard this is…"

"Because the only other person you love is your little brother." I kept completely still, hoping that I hadn't just completely blown it for myself.

"Exactly…"

I looked up at him. He looked right back at me, that lopsided smile still on his face. He looked so much more handsome like that…

I pressed myself up against him, resting my head on his chest. "Seto…"

He draped his arms around my waist. "Goodbye, Terra…"

"I wish it wasn't time for goodbyes."

"Well, we can't change it."

"Can't we just stay here for a while more?"

"Whatever…"

I laughed a little at his half-hearted attempt to use his cold, uncaring voice. "All right, then…"

**

* * *

__****Mikey POV**

I looked around curiously as Ryou pulled me into Miriku's rec room. "What are we doing?"

Ryou cleared a spot on the bed and sat down, motioning me to sit next to him. As I did, he reached into his deck box and pulled out a card.

"Ryou…that's your Change of Heart…"

Ryou shook his head. "No. This is a different one." He ripped it right down the center.

I stared at him. "What the…" He smiled a little, and handed me one of the halves.

I looked at it for a moment. It was the half with the angel. "Ryou…"

He put a hand on mine. "So you'll never forget me. And you'll never forget what I consider you…" Carefully, he put the demon half back in his deck box.

I hugged him. "Ryou…I wouldn't forget you, even if you _hadn't_ given that to me…"

Ryou smiled. He kissed me lightly on the forehead, resting his arms around my shoulders. "But I wouldn't want to just take off without leaving you something…"

I closed my eyes. "This…is good enough…"

**

* * *

__****Sonja POV**

"Psst! Sonja!"

I glanced down. Yuugi was standing next to me.

I bent down so that I was at his eye level. "Yeah?"

I realized he was blushing a little—a split second before he planted a kiss on my cheek and darted off.

I blinked, trying to figure out where he had gone. But he had completely disappeared.

_Uh…that was odd…_

"Sonja."

I looked over my shoulder. "Uh—hi, Damien!"

Damien had his arms crossed. "What was that all about?"

I gulped. Knowing him, he was about to go beat Yuugi into a pulp… "Dunno. He called my name, and then— I have no idea."

Damien smiled a little. "Come _on,_ Sonja. You look like a tomato. What's _really_ up?"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine. You guessed it." I made a face. "But he's _Yuugi,_ Damien! He's the very _essence_ of cute!"

"Sonja, I never said you were in trouble."

I blinked. "Hunh?"

Damien grinned. "That is—only if you go back and repay him the favor he just gave you. And I have to be able to see you."

"Then watch secretly."

"Fine with me."

I crept around through the minor crowd, looking for Yuugi. I finally managed to find him—he was sitting in the kitchen by the table, staring off into space. "Hey, Yuugi?"

Yuugi started. Then he saw me—and blushed. "Uh—S-Sonja—"

I grinned, sitting next to him. "Hi. What was that about?"

Yuugi blushed harder, looking away. "I don't know…"

I grinned, using Damien's line from earlier. "Come on, Yuugi, you look like a tomato."

Yuugi tightly shut his eyes. "I'm gonna miss you, Sonja…"

I leaned over, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Me too, Yuugi…me too…"

**

* * *

__****Miriku POV**

I stood up. "All right—everybody finished?"

I looked around. Our four missing persons had since returned—and Kaiba was smiling and making no attempt to hide it. That was odd, to say the least.

I moved to the center of the living room, pushing the coffee table out of the way. I then turned the boombox off. "Everybody clear the area from the couch to the TV. We need room, here." In seconds, there was a large space in front of the TV.

I pulled the book out of my pocket and opened it. "Kimiru. Derama. Kemisi. Now, please."

The sisters emerged, and stepped to the center, reaching out to take each other's hands. I smiled a little, and began to read.

The words came easily this time. The light swirled about once more—this time growing gold and silver sheens. The spell fixed itself on my desired focal point—the TV. The feeling of unraveling was there again—but faster and more efficient. Soon there was a large space of pure light right in front of the TV screen,

I stared at the dancing light for a moment, and turned to face the others. "The portal won't open on the other side until it's closed on this side. And this side won't close until I choose to close it. Everyone will get through safely—I'm making sure of it. You'll be able to see us until this side is closed."

Malik was the first to step into the portal, gently pushing Marik off of his arm. Bakura was next, tousling Sam's hair as he left. Ryou touched Mikey's cheek, smiling tenderly, before backing to stand beside Bakura. Kaiba simply looked at Terra for a long moment, before stepping in after Jonouchi. Yuugi smiled shyly at Sonja, and darted in.

Which left Yami. His steps were slow and deliberate as he made his way towards the portal—and therefore, me. He didn't look up.

As he passed, I touched his wrist. "Yami…"

He stopped. But he still didn't look at me.

I blinked back tears. "Kojiki yousha, koishii (begging forgiveness, beloved)," I whispered, before backing away.

He just stood there. Then he looked at me.

For the second time that day, I was completely paralyzed.

Even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't have moved away. Not when he moved forward. Not when he gently placed one arm around my waist, and the other on my shoulder, tucking the white rose behind my ear.

Not when our lips met.

I heard cheers and catcalls—but faintly. It was like they were in a completely different world from Yami and me.

_**You are forgiven…**_

He pulled away, smiling warmly, and pressed a card into my hand. "Goodbye, Miriku-koi." And he stepped into the portal. There was a blinding light—and the seam of space knitted itself together.

And Kimiru, Derama, and Kemisi—were gone.

I opened the book again. "Time to say goodbye to everything," I murmured sadly—

And read the spell to make us forget everything that had happened that had to do with the anime characters and the sisters.

**

* * *

__****Yuugi POV**

Everyone who had gone was back. We were all sitting on the grass of the park—in Domino City.

Where we belonged…

I looked at the others, who all had a sort of dazed look on their faces—Yami and Bakura most of all.

_Wait a second…_

"Yami! Yami!"

Yami looked at me. "Yes, aibou?" he said heavily.

"Look at me! Look at yourself!"

Yami rolled his eyes. "What about it?"

"We're separate. We're not _supposed_ to be separate any more!"

Yami blinked. As did the others, who had recovered by now.

Bakura looked at his hands. He grinned suddenly. "This is great. Now I won't have to deal with kicking Ryou out if I want to cause trouble."

Ryou sweatdropped. "Yeah…sure…"

I noticed Yami staring up at the sky, and walked over to him. "Yami? Are you all right?"

Yami sighed. "Do you think we'll ever see them again?"

I smiled, patting his arm. "Maybe. Now—it's been two weeks since I swept the game shop, so we really need to get back home." I waved at the others. "See you, guys!"

Yami and I began to walk home. As we went, I pondered the changes that had occurred. Jonouchi was now pretty decent at speaking, reading, and writing in English. Kaiba was just a nicer person than he'd ever been. And then, there was the fact that Yami and Bakura were now real. Well, not real—they had physical forms.

I smiled around at the familiar buildings. We would deal with all those things when they came around.

For now…we were home.

**OWARI**

* * *

**Weeeell...not exactly the end. I still have to do the epilogue...hehehe...**

**Ack! (runs away from reviewers who she knows will kill her for making them forget everything)(yells over shoulder) REVIEW, PLEASE!**


	30. Remembrance

**See? I told you!I wasn't _quite_ finished yet! Now, this is the _real_ finale. Enjoy!

* * *

Remembrance**

I sat down on my new couch with a sigh, staring around at the new apartment. It was bigger than my old one—but I was beginning to miss the cramped rooms that were overflowing with stuff…

I smiled a little, remembering the goodbye party we'd had. Terrance had brought his boombox, and we played loud rock music the whole time. All sorts of people had been there—Sonja and Damien Edachi, the owners of our favorite karaoke bar and my favorite music supply store respectively; Mikey Labrador, who we'd met when Terra dragged us all to the mall on a shopping spree, and Marik Rama and Samantha Parker, who we'd met while helping Damien and Sonja open their shops. And, of course, my usual buddy group.

And now, they had all been left behind…

I stared moodily out the window. I was grateful that we weren't actually _in_ the city—more in the suburbs. I could see the skyscrapers of Chicago rising in the distance.

I slid my hands into my pockets—and blinked, pulling out a YuGiOh card. It was a bit crinkled from being in that pocket for so long, but still in pretty good condition. It was a trap card, titled Pharaoh's Treasure.

I was confused. As far as I knew, I had no card by that name. Where could it have come from?

I thought hard. There had been one case in sixth grade where a boy had kept sending a girl cards like Love Letter and Hidden Wish, and another of a girl who had given her crush the card Maiden in Love. Maybe it was something like that.

_But…Pharaoh's Treasure…that title has nothing to do with love or secret admirers…_

My mind reasoned that, if I had gotten the card Pharaoh's Treasure, then someone who was a pharaoh considered me precious. But that was absurd. There were no pharaohs nowadays—and besides, I had never been to Egypt. I didn't even know any Egyptians or Arabs.

_Except for Yami…_

I nearly laughed aloud at my own fanciful dreams. Yami was just an anime character, albeit a handsome one. There was no way.

_Heh. Unless he just **happened** to fall out of my TV…_

My mind turned to dreams I'd been having lately—dreams so real, they seemed almost like memories…

Suddenly, I sat bolt upright. Something had snapped inside my mind, and memories were flooding back.

They _had_ come out of my TV—Yami, Yuugi, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Kaiba. Later, Jonouchi had come out of John's TV. And we all had so much fun—

Even with all the fights—

And then they had left. Yami had given me the card, because I was his beloved—his treasure. And we'd…

I closed my eyes, trying not to remember. It hurt, thinking about him.

And then, I had cast the forgetfulness spell—and the book had seemed to disappear. I vaguely remembered it shrinking away into nothingness.

My cell phone rang. I answered it. "Yeah?"

"Miriku. You're going to think we're crazy."

I blinked. "Terra? Why? What happened?"

"Mikey, Sonja, Damien, Marik, and Sam are all here. We're all getting memories that conflict with the ones we have, but we know they're true, even though."

I nodded. "The YuGiOh people?"

Terra took a deep breath. "Yeah. Them."

I sighed. "It really happened." I looked at the card in my hand. "I know it did."

"So do we," Terra confirmed. "Mikey had that half of a Change of Heart Ryou gave her, laminated and on a necklace."

I smiled a little. "We're all crazy."

"Like we didn't know that already?"

"Good point."

"Hold on a second—I'm putting you on speaker."

I waited for a second or two. Then; "Hey, all—how's life back in Florida?"

"Boring," Sonja said unhappily.

"It was a lot more fun with you around," Mikey agreed.

Marik sighed. "I wish you hadn't moved…"

I looked out my window again. "Guys…do you think we'll ever be able to see them again?"

"I sure hope so," Sam murmured. "Man, I miss Bakura already…"

"I wanna see my Malik again…" I could just see Marik pouting as she said this.

I heard Damien laugh a little. "That's not going to happen, guys—not unless they come back, or we go there."

"I wish we _could_ go there," Sonja sighed, longing in her voice.

I smiled. "Well, thanks for calling…do so often. I don't know how many friends I'm going to make this year—knowing my luck, none."

I could almost see Terra rolling her eyes. "Come on, Miriku, that's exactly what you said before you met _us._"

I laughed. "Good point. Anyway, I have to go—after all, my computer won't set up itself!"

There was a ripple of laughter from the other side, and a chorus of goodbyes—then the click of the receiver being hung up.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, smiling a little. My friends knew exactly how to cheer me up.

But none of them could replace Yami…

My eyes hardened. I was _not_ going to fall into despair, like I had done before. That had been disastrous.

_I'll just keep living. And dreaming._

And maybe—just maybe—we would meet again.

* * *

**Thank you for all your reviews and constructive criticism, everyone! You all are so nice! (glomps reviewers) And make sure you keep an eye out for the sequal!**


End file.
